What Is a Level?
A level is an instrument for checking the degree to which an arbitrary surface (surface to be measured) is inclined relative to a reference (horizontal or vertical). It is also called a leveler.
A level is a cylindrical, sealed glass tube filled with a liquid such as alcohol or ether and partially filled with air bubbles. When the level is placed on the surface to be measured, the position of the bubble moves in accordance with the inclination of the surface. The inclination of the surface is checked by reading the scale waved on the glass tube at that position.
Some levels display the reading digitally, while certain laser levels are equipped with a laser pointer to check the level at a “distance.”
Uses for Levels
Levels are employed to ensure the proper alignment of equipment during installation. These levels are positioned on the reference surface of the equipment to be installed, and the equipment’s adjusters are then calibrated to align the reference surface accurately.
Levels are also used to check the distortion of the outer circumference of rollers and to check the parallelism of conveyor rollers on printing presses.
They are also used in construction, civil engineering, and surveying. They are used not to check the levelness of an object, but to establish a reference.
Principle of Levels
As mentioned above, levels are cylindrical glass tubes filled with liquid and partially filled with air bubbles. This glass tube is held in an enclosure with a surface parallel to the glass tube. If the horizontal glass tube is parallel to the ground, the bubble is located in the middle of the glass tube. If the right side of the glass capillary is higher than the left side, the bubble will move to the right side. Since the glass capillary is marked with a scale, the tilt is checked by reading the scale at the position of the bubble. These types of levels are also called bubble levels.
Laser levels have a built-in laser pointer. The laser pointer can be used to level a distant location and is mainly used on construction sites.
A laser level is attached to a tripod and adjusted so that it is parallel to the tripod. Once parallelism is achieved, the laser pointer (horizontal light) can be used to determine the point of parallelism, even at a distance. For example, when laying a pipe, it is possible to point out the position where a hole is to be drilled in the wall where the pipe is to be extended. When installing speakers on a wall in a gymnasium, for example, it is necessary to install them at the same height on the left and right sides.
Due to their simple construction and relatively easy operation, laser levels are used in a wide variety of applications.