QUICK LINKS

STUDENT
TEACHER

Volume of Cones and Pyramids Calculator

QUICK LINKS

STUDENT
TEACHER

Volume of Cones and Pyramids Calculator

Volume of Cones and Pyramids

CALCULATOR
—

Volume of Cones and Pyramids Calculator

What does your shape look like?

Step 1. Imagine & identify the base.

We can think of the cone as a cake. The base is the bottom layer, a circle.

Step 2. Calculate the area of the base.

We start by calculating the area of the base circle.

Step 3. Multiply the area of the base by the height (H) of the cone.

We can think of this step as stacking up layers of the cake base until you reach the desired height. Notice this forms a cylinder around our cone.

Step 4. Divide by 3.

Lastly, we take one piece off each side and we're left with of the cylinder's volume.
Our answer is .
We have some questions for you! Help us out through this
INTRO
—
Volume tells us the amount of space there is inside a given 3D shape. It’s kind of like the 3D version of area. To find the volume of a cone or pyramid, we need to multiply the area of the base by the height, and then divide by 3.This formula is very similar to the formula for the volume of a cylinder and prism. The only difference is that there’s one additional step...dividing by 3!
We can also think about this formula in terms of cake!
In our lesson we explain how the amount of cake in one layer is like the area of the base of a cylinder or prism, and the total number of layers is like the height of the cylinder or prism.
But a cone or a pyramid is smaller than a cylinder or a prism - it's like we're slicing off a piece from either side and then we're left with ⅓ of the cake. That's why we have to take the volume of the cylinder or prism and divide by 3.

Pick your cake shape:

What a piece of cake! 😜
Check out our
Calculator
or explore our
Lesson
and
Practice
sections to learn more about how to find the volume of cones and pyramids and test your understanding.

You can also use the Quick Links menu on the left to jump to a section of your choice.

You can also use the Quick Links dropdown above to jump to a section of your choice.

KEY STEPS
—

How to Find the Volume of Cones and Pyramids

Shape:

Step 1. Imagine & identify the base.

We can think of the cone as a cake with layers shaped as circles. The base is the bottom layer, a circle.

Step 2. Calculate the area of the base.

We start by calculating the area of the base circle.

Step 3. Multiply the area of the base by the height (H) of the cone.

We can think of this step as stacking up layers of the cake base until you reach the desired height.

Step 4. Divide by 3.

We can think of this step as taking a piece off the left and right sides, leaving us with ⅓ of the cake.
LESSON
— Volume of Cones & Pyramids
PRACTICE
— Volume of Cones & Pyramids
CONCLUSION
—
Leave Feedback