The lightning rod was invented by America’s founding father Benjamin Franklin.
It protects buildings from lightning. It was invented by American scientist Benjamin Franklin who first proved that lightning and electricity were related, by conducting his fabled kite and key experiment.
The lightning rod is a pointed metal rod mounted on the roof of a building. It is electrically connected to the ground through a thick wire. When lightning strikes the building, the rod attracts the electric current and conducts it harmlessly to the ground through the wire. Thus, the lightning charge does not pass through the building where it could potentially start a fire or cause electrocution.
THE KITE EXPERIMENT
In the mid-18th Century, Benjamin Franklin flew a kite during a storm to see if a key attached to the string would draw an electrical charge. It did and this led to his invention of the lightning rod which protects tall buildings from lightning strikes.
DID YOU KNOW?
Some monuments in the ancient Sri Lankan capital of Anuradhapura bear some of the earliest examples of metal lightning conductors.
Picture Credit : Google