#  >> K-12 >> Middle School

How to Calculate the Size of a Cone

A cone is a three-dimensional shape that has a circular base but then tapers up to a point, similar to a pyramid. Since the shape has three dimensions, you can calculate the volume of the cone if you know the radius and height. Knowing the volume of a cone is helpful if you want to know how much water or other material the cone can hold. The volume is measured in distance units cubed, such as cubic inches, cubic feet, cubic yards or cubic meters.

Things You'll Need

  • Calculator
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Square the radius of the cone's base. The radius is the distance from the center of the cone's base to the edge of the cone's base. For example, if the radius equals 5 inches, square 5 to get 25 square inches.

    • 2

      Multiply the result by 3.14 to find the area of the base. In this example, multiply 3.14 by 25 to get 78.5 square inches.

    • 3

      Multiply the area of the base by the height of the cone. In this example, if the height equals 12 inches, multiply 78.5 by 12 to get 942 cubic inches.

    • 4

      Divide the result by 3 to find the volume of the cone. You have to divide by 3 because you are finding the area of a cone rather than a cylinder. In this example, divide 942 by 3 to get 314 cubic inches.

Learnify Hub © www.0685.com All Rights Reserved