Calculate the density of a cylinder from diameter, height, and mass. Material identification, volume, surface area, and reference comparison table.
Cylindrical objects are everywhere, from pipes and rods to cans, dowels, and machine parts. To find a cylinder's density, you only need diameter, height or length, and mass. With V = πr²h and ρ = m/V, the calculator turns those measurements into a density value you can compare against known materials.
The page handles the unit conversions for you and compares the result with a database of common materials. That makes it useful for checking whether a sample is likely aluminum, steel, plastic, glass, or something else entirely.
Along with density, the calculator also reports volume, surface area, aspect ratio, and a visual comparison chart so you can see where the result sits relative to common engineering materials.
Density is a fast first check when a cylindrical part might be the wrong material, the wrong stock, or a mislabeled sample. Doing the geometry and unit conversions by hand is where most mistakes creep in, so putting them in one place makes the result easier to trust and compare.
Volume of cylinder: V = π × (d/2)² × h. Density: ρ = m / V. Surface area: SA = 2πr(r + h). Aspect ratio = h / d.
Result: 0.921 g/cm³ (921 kg/m³)
Volume = π × 3.3² × 12.2 = 417.3 cm³. Density = 384 / 417.3 = 0.920 g/cm³. This is close to HDPE plastic or a liquid-filled container.
The most common error in cylinder density measurement is inaccurate diameter reading. Since volume depends on diameter squared, a 1% error in diameter causes a 2% error in volume (and thus density). Always use calipers rather than rulers, and measure at multiple points to detect taper or ovality.
| Part | Typical Material | Expected Density | |---|---|---| | Hydraulic piston rod | Chrome-plated steel | 7,850 kg/m³ | | Electrical bus bar | Copper alloy | 8,500–8,960 kg/m³ | | Soda can (empty) | Aluminum 3004 | 2,710 kg/m³ | | Wooden dowel | Birch/oak | 600–800 kg/m³ | | Lab sample vial | Borosilicate glass | 2,230 kg/m³ |
For hollow cylinders, the effective density calculation uses the annular cross-section: V = π × h × (R_outer² − R_inner²). The wall thickness can be found from (R_outer − R_inner), and for thin-walled tubes, an approximation V ≈ π × d_mean × t × h works well, where t is wall thickness.
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Use digital calipers and measure at several points along the length. If the cylinder is not perfectly round, measure the maximum and minimum diameters and average them.
For hollow cylinders (tubes/pipes), measure outer and inner diameters. Volume = π × h × (R_outer² − R_inner²). Then density = mass / volume.
No—density is independent of orientation. Whether you call the longest dimension "height" or "length" does not affect the calculation, as long as diameter and height are correct.
Within ±5% for pure metals and common materials. Alloys, composites, and porous materials may not match exactly due to composition variations.
No—tapered cylinders (cones or truncated cones) have different volume formulas. This calculator assumes a straight (right circular) cylinder.
Aspect ratio (h/d) helps verify measurements. A ratio near 1 means disc-like; much greater than 1 means rod-like. If your physical sample does not match the computed ratio, recheck dimensions.