- 1). The formula to determine the volume of a cylinder is pi times the radius times the radius times the height. 3.14 is the common value to use for pi. The volume is given in cubic inches or cubic feet depending on the measurements used in the calculations.
- 2). Using a ruler or tape measure, measure the radius of the bottom of the cylinder. The radius is the distance from the center of the cylinder bottom to the edge. Record this value and be sure to label as inches or feet.
- 3). Measure the height of the cylinder using the same units of measurement. (If you measured the radius in inches, be sure to measure the height in inches.) For example, the radius of a pot is 3 inches and the height is 16 inches. To calculate the volume in cubic inches, multiply 3.14 times 3 times 3 times 16. The total is about 452 cubic inches.
- 4). Convert cubic inches to gallons by multiplying by .004329. For the example, multiply 452 by .004329. The result is about 1.96 gallons. Or, approximately 2 gallons of punch will fit in the pot, filling it to the top. 4 quarts or 8 pints or 16 cups equal one gallon. So if other units of measurement are needed, conversions are easy to make.
- 5). If you have a large cylinder, take the measurements in feet. Once you have calculated the cubic feet, multiply the answer by 7.48052. This will convert cubic feet to gallons.
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