Calculate the total surface area of 9 common 3D shapes — sphere, cube, cylinder, cone, rectangular prism, pyramid, torus, ellipsoid, and hemisphere — with formulas shown.
Select Shape
Total Surface Area
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Total SA
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Lateral SA
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Base Area
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Shape
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Select a 3D shape and enter dimensions
9 shapes supported with lateral and total surface area.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between lateral and total surface area?
Lateral surface area is just the sides (not the top/bottom bases). Total surface area includes all faces. For example, for a cylinder: lateral SA = 2πrh, total SA = 2πrh + 2πr².
What is the surface area formula for a sphere?
SA = 4πr² where r is the radius. A sphere has no base — it is entirely curved. This formula is elegant: it equals exactly 4 times the area of a circle with the same radius.