science

Laser level

Laser level is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Laser level rather than just read about it. In short: In surveying and construction, the laser level is a control tool consisting of a rotating laser beam projector that can be affixed to a tripod. The tool is leveled according to the accuracy of the device and projects a fixed red or green beam in a plane about the horizontal and/or vertical axis.

Key takeaways

Laser level belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Laser level to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Laser level from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In surveying and construction, the laser level is a control tool consisting of a rotating laser beam projector that can be affixed to a tripod. The tool is leveled according to the accuracy of the device and projects a fixed red or green beam in a plane about the horizontal and/or vertical axis.

History The concept of a laser level has been around since at least the early 1970s, the original spinning-mirror design laser plane and line level was patented by the late 1980s, and the compact lens-based laser line level (as produced by many tool manufacturers today) was patented in the late 1990s. It was invented by Oscar Soliz in the late 1960s, who later sold the rights to it.

Rotary laser level

A rotary laser level is a more advanced laser level in that it spins the beam of light fast enough to give the effect of a complete 360 degree horizontal or vertical plane, thus illuminating not just a fixed line, but a horizontal plane. The laser beam projector employs a rotating head with a mirror for sweeping the laser beam about a vertical axis. If the mirror is not self-leveling, it is provided with visually readable level vials and manually adjustable screws for orienting the projector. A staff carried by the operator is equipped with a movable sensor, which can detect the laser beam and gives a signal when the sensor is in line with the beam (usually an audible beep). The position of the sensor on the graduated staff, also known as a grade rod, or story pole, allows comparison of elevations between different points on the terrain. Most laser levels are used in the construction industry.

Tower-mounted laser level A tower-mounted laser level is used in combination with a sensor on a wheel tractor-scraper in the process of land laser leveling to bring land (for example, an agricultural field) to near-flatness with a slight grade for drainage.

Cross laser level

Cross laser levels and line laser levels are types of modern electronic laser levels commonly used in construction and home projects. Instead of a rotating laser, they have one or several stationary line lasers that is levelled by a spirit level and/or plumb bob to simultaneously display precise horizontal or vertical illuminated lines on surfaces. Cross laser levels have largely replaced line laser levels. While line laser levels can be handy for things like hanging pictures, cross laser levels have a much wider range of uses, including painting and tiling. The most versatile type is the 3x360-degree cross laser levels, which draw horizontal and vertical lines on all walls. They can be manufactured with cross lasers in one, two or three planes:

XY plane: Draws lines on the floor plane XZ plane: Draws lines on the forward and backwall YZ plane: Draws lines on the side walls The light beam can span, for example, 90, 180 or 360 degrees of each of these planes, with small interruptions due to the posts that protect the glass housings around the lasers. A 360 degree laser level is sometimes confused with a rotary laser level.

See also Dumpy level, optical instrument used in surveying and building to transfer, measure, or set horizontal levels List of laser articles Laser machine control, electronic system for automatic operation of land scrapers or excavators

References

External links US patent 4062634, Rando, Joseph F.; Kahn, Michael E. & Heumann, Thomas E. et al., "System for controlling attitude of laser beam plane", issued 1977-12-13, assigned to Spectra-Physics, Inc. Resource conservation through laser leveling

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Laser level

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Laser level claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Laser level before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Laser level ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Laser level

In research: Laser level appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Laser level in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Laser level is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Construction equipment, Construction surveying, Laser applications, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Laser level outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Laser level in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Laser level means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Laser level out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Laser level in simple terms?

Why does Laser level matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Laser level?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Laser level.