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Cube Calculator

Cube: how to find the surface area and volume when one side length is given, and how to find the surface area and side length when the volume is given.

Cube

Cube Calculation Method

Calculate the volume and surface area of a cube from its side length.

Formula for the volume

Formula for the area

How to calculate the surface area and side length of a cube when its volume is known

Formula for the side length

Formula for the area

To find the surface area, first find the side length from the volume, then use the side length to find the surface area.

The side length (a) of the cube is 0 .
The volume (V) of the cube is 0 .
The area (S) of the cube is 0 .

About This Calculator

A cube is a solid with six identical square faces, and its volume is simply the side length raised to the third power. Cubes are the easiest three-dimensional shape to work with because one measurement defines the whole solid.

Enter the side length to get the surface area and volume, or enter a known volume to work back to the edge length.

A cube of edge a has volume a³, surface area 6a² and space diagonal a√3. An edge of 4 gives 64 cubic units, 96 square units and a diagonal of 6.928. Doubling the edge multiplies the volume by eight but the surface area only by four, which is why volume grows so much faster than area.

Key Formula:V = a³ · Surface area = 6a²

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between volume and surface area?

Volume measures the space inside the solid in cubic units, while surface area measures the total area of its outer faces in square units. A cube of side 2 has a volume of 8 and a surface area of 24.

How do I find the side length from the volume?

Take the cube root of the volume. A cube with a volume of 27 m³ has an edge of 27^(1/3) = 3 m, because 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.

What is the difference between the face diagonal and the space diagonal?

The face diagonal crosses one square face at a√2, while the space diagonal runs corner to opposite corner through the interior at a√3. For an edge of 4 those are 5.657 and 6.928.

Why does doubling the size raise the volume eightfold?

Volume is a product of three lengths, so scaling every length by 2 multiplies it by 2 × 2 × 2 = 8, while surface area, a product of two lengths, grows only fourfold.

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Sources & last update

2026-10-19