How to find the area/volume of a can? I'm doing some area work and I was wondering how find the area of a can... It's like finding the area of a cylinder right? I'm really confused. I just need the formulae... thanks
 A: Surface area(consisting of the area of two disks at the top and bottom and the side area): $ 2 \pi r^2 + 2 \pi r h$
Volume: $\pi r^2 h$ 
Enough?
Actually first Google result would give you these.
A: The post makes it quite clear that you only want the formulas. But let us derive the answer, from probably familiar facts about the area and circumference of a circle. 
You know that a circle of radius $r$ has area $\pi r^2$ and circumference $2\pi r$.
Take your can. With a can opener, remove the top and bottom of the can. Each of these has area $\pi r^2$, for a combined area of $2\pi r^2$.
Now take tin shears, and cut the now topless and bottomless can, in a straight line from top to bottom. Separate at the cut, and flatten out the material of the can. You get a rectangle of height $h$, the height of the can. The width of the rectangle is the circumference of the original top (or bottom). So the rectangle has area $2\pi r h$.
Thus altogether the surface area of the original can is $2\pi r^2+2\pi r h$. 
