Question

what is the formula to find the area of the label on a soup can

Answer 1

You can unwrap the label and then you'd have a rectangle which you can measure LxW? You could also measure the cylinder and divide by the percentage the label take up, I suppose. That seems like extra work, though.

Answer 2

The label does have to go all the way around the can.

Can you measure the radius of the can? And the height of the can?

\(Volume=\pi r^{2}h\)

\(Lateral\;Surface\;Area=2\pi rh\)

It is not a coincidence that they are related.