What is the formula for calculating the surface area to volume ratio?

The formula for calculating the surface area to volume ratio is found by dividing the surface area by the volume. This is crucial in many scientific disciplines, including biology and chemistry, because it provides insight into how efficiently different objects or organisms exchange materials with their environment. For example, as an object's size increases, its volume increases at a faster rate than its surface area. A higher surface area to volume ratio often indicates that an object can exchange substances (such as heat, nutrients, or gases) with its environment more effectively. This concept is particularly important in understanding why cells are typically small and how animals regulate temperature.