Parts Of A Lightning Rod And Functions

A lightning rod is very simple it s a pointed metal rod attached to the roof of a building.

Parts of a lightning rod and functions.

Lightning rods and all the wonderful gadgets that accompany them are an interesting part of our history beautiful glass balls were first created to sell lightning rods during the mid to late nineteenth century. Glass ball replacement caps. The rod might be an inch 2 cm in diameter. Lightning rods were originally developed by benjamin franklin.

The rods are about 12 inches tall 3 8 inches in diameter and made of aluminum or copper. To be most effective the rods should be placed on the tallest parts of the building. Lightning rod parts weathervane glass balls special stock. If lightning hits the structure it will preferentially strike the rod and be conducted to ground through a wire instead of passing through the structure where it could start a fire or cause electrocution.

It connects to a huge piece of copper or aluminum wire that s also an inch or so in diameter. Lightning rod glass tails. Today balls of glass ceramic and plastic are created for lightning rods and weather vanes and these obscure articles of americana continue to be highly collected. It is the high resistance of the nonconducting materials that causes them to be heated by the passage of electric current leading to fire and.

Contrary to popular myth lightning rods do not attract lightning but merely dispel the strikes according to modern lightning protection an installation company. A lightning rod us aus or lightning conductor is a metal rod mounted on a structure and intended to protect the structure from a lightning strike. 42 4 00 25 00.