How does a lightning rod work?
Quick Answer
A lightning rod gives lightning a safe path to the ground through a thick conductor, so the current bypasses the building instead of causing fire or damage.
The Full Story
A lightning protection system has a metal rod or air terminal on the highest point of a building, connected by heavy copper or aluminium cable to rods buried in the ground. Lightning tends to strike tall, pointed objects, so the rod is likely to intercept a strike nearby. The conductor carries the enormous current, which can be tens of thousands of amps, safely into the earth. Without it, the current could pass through wood, brick or wiring, causing fires or explosions. Benjamin Franklin proposed the lightning rod around 1750 after his experiments with electricity.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"A safe path to the ground — Franklin’s lightning rod"