The history of the spirit level was discussed in brief in an 1887 article appearing in Scientific American. Melchisédech Thévenot, a French scientist, invented … See more

To check the accuracy of a carpenter's type level, a perfectly horizontal surface is not needed. The level is placed on a flat and roughly level surface and the reading on the bubble tube is noted. This reading indicates to what extent the surface is parallel to the … See more

Sensitivity is an important specification for a spirit level, as the device's accuracy depends on its sensitivity. The sensitivity of a level is given as the change of angle or gradient required to move the bubble by unit distance. If the bubble housing has graduated … See more

Combining a spirit level with an optical telescope results in a tilting level or dumpy level. These leveling instruments as used in See more

Early tubular spirit levels had very slightly curved glass vials with constant inner diameter at each viewing point. These vials are filled, incompletely, with a liquid – usually a colored spirit or alcohol – leaving a bubble in the tube. They have a slight upward curve, so … See more

There are different types of spirit levels for different uses:
• Carpenter's level (either wood, aluminium or composite materials)
• Mason's level
• Torpedo level Torpedo level See more

Alternatives include:
• Reed level
• Laser line level
• See more