A free printable cylinder worksheet for Grade 8 math.
Students connect a cylinder to its net, find the volume and surface area of drawn cylinders, work backwards to a missing height or radius, handle open cylinders and labels, and solve real-world problems about a water tank, a juice can, comparing two cylinders and painting a pillar. Uses π ≈ 3.14. Includes 19 questions (30 marks) and a worked answer key.
By Kris Reddy, Ontario teacher · Updated October 16, 2026 · 19 questions (30 marks) · PDF + answer key
This free volume of a cylinder worksheet covers both volume and surface area of cylinders for Grade 8. Students start by connecting a cylinder to its net, then find the volume of four drawn cylinders and the surface area of three more, half of them labelled with a diameter so students have to find the radius first.
The second page moves to problem solving: working backwards from a volume to a missing height or radius, finding the material for a lidless pencil cup and a can label, and real-world problems about a water tank, a juice can, two cylinders that hold the same amount, and painting a pillar. Every answer uses π ≈ 3.14 and was checked by computer. To print it, use the Download button above.
The volume of a cylinder worksheet supports the Ontario Grade 8 math curriculum in the Spatial Sense strand, where students determine the surface area and volume of cylinders and solve related problems. It builds directly on the area and circumference of a circle worksheet.
Volume of a Cylinder
A cylinder is a stack of identical circles, so its volume is the area of one circle times the height:
V = πr²h
V = 3.14 × 3² × 10 = 3.14 × 9 × 10 = 282.6 cm³
Volume is measured in cubic units (cm³, m³). Because 1 cm³ = 1 mL and 1 m³ = 1000 L, volume questions often turn into capacity questions, like how much juice fits in a can. Part B of the volume of a cylinder worksheet includes two cylinders labelled with a diameter, so students must halve it first. For more on the shape itself, see cylinder on Wikipedia.
Surface Area and the Net of a Cylinder
Unroll a cylinder and you get its net: two circles and a rectangle. The rectangle's length wraps all the way around the circle, so it equals the circumference (2πr), and its width is the height.
Side a = circumference (2πr) · side b = height (h)
SA = 2πr² + 2πrh
For a cylinder with r = 5 cm and h = 4 cm: the two ends are 2 × 3.14 × 25 = 157 cm², the side is 2 × 3.14 × 5 × 4 = 125.6 cm², and the total is 282.6 cm². Part C of the volume of a cylinder worksheet has students show the ends and the side separately, so it's easy to see where a mistake happened.
Open Cylinders and Working Backwards
Real objects aren't always closed. A pencil cup with no lid needs only one circle plus the side. A can label covers only the curved side, so its area is just 2πrh (or πdh). Part E of the volume of a cylinder worksheet practises both.
Students also run the formula in reverse. If a cylinder holds 1570 cm³ and has a radius of 5 cm, then 1570 = 78.5 × h, so h = 20 cm. Finding a missing radius needs a square root at the end; see the square roots worksheet for practice.
Volume of a Cylinder Worksheet Practice Questions
These questions match the volume of a cylinder worksheet PDF, which has every cylinder drawn with its radius or diameter and height marked.
Part A – The Net of a Cylinder
Side a of the rectangle is the same length as the ___
Side b of the rectangle is the same length as the ___
Part B – Find the Volume
r = 3 cm, h = 10 cm
d = 8 m, h = 5 m
r = 2.5 cm, h = 12 cm
d = 10 cm, h = 7 cm
Part C – Find the Surface Area
r = 5 cm, h = 4 cm
d = 6 m, h = 8 m
r = 1.5 cm, h = 6 cm
Part D – Work Backwards
A cylinder has a volume of 1570 cm³ and a radius of 5 cm. Find its height.
A cylinder has a volume of 301.44 m³ and a height of 6 m. Find its radius.
Part E – Open Cylinders and Labels
A cylindrical pencil cup has no lid. Its radius is 4 cm and its height is 10 cm. How much material is needed to make it?
A paper label wraps around the side of a can (not the top or bottom). The can is 7.5 cm across and 11 cm tall. What is the area of the label?
Part F – Real-World Problems
A water tank is a cylinder with radius 1.5 m and height 2 m. Find its volume. How many litres does it hold? (1 m³ = 1000 L)
A juice can is 6.6 cm across and 12 cm tall. About how many millilitres of juice can it hold? (1 cm³ = 1 mL)
Cylinder A has r = 2 cm and h = 8 cm. Cylinder B has r = 4 cm and h = 2 cm. Which holds more?
The curved side of a pillar (diameter 0.5 m, height 3 m) needs paint. One litre of paint covers 2 m². How many 1-litre cans are needed?
Part G – Spot the Mistake
For a cylinder with diameter 6 cm and height 5 cm, a student writes V = 3.14 × 6² × 5 = 565.2 cm³. Explain the error and correct it.
For a closed cylinder with r = 2 cm and h = 5 cm, a student writes SA = 3.14 × 2² + 2 × 3.14 × 2 × 5 = 75.36 cm². Explain the error and correct it.
Volume of a Cylinder Worksheet Answer Key
Open each part to check the volume of a cylinder worksheet answers. All answers use π ≈ 3.14 and are rounded to one decimal place. The printable key is on the last two pages of the PDF.
Yes. The worksheet and its answer key are free to download and print as one PDF, with no account needed.
What is the formula for the volume of a cylinder?
V = πr²h. Find the area of the circular base (πr²), then multiply by the height. A cylinder with r = 3 cm and h = 10 cm has V = 3.14 × 9 × 10 = 282.6 cm³.
What is the formula for the surface area of a cylinder?
SA = 2πr² + 2πrh. The 2πr² is the two circular ends, and 2πrh is the curved side, which unrolls into a rectangle 2πr long and h tall.
What if the cylinder has no lid?
Leave out one circle: SA = πr² + 2πrh. For a label that only wraps around the side, use just 2πrh (or πdh).
What grade is this volume of a cylinder worksheet for?
It is written for Grade 8 math and also works as Grade 9 review. All answers use π ≈ 3.14, rounded to one decimal.
Ready to start? Use the Download button above to print the free volume of a cylinder worksheet double-sided, and keep the answer key pages for marking.