Q:
What is the function of a lightning rod?
A:
Quick Answer
A lightning rod conducts a positive charge up to meet the negative charge of a lightning strike, allowing the strike to hit the rod and travel through attached wires to an underground connection. This diverts the strike away from a building, preventing or lessening potential damage, according to About.com.
Continue Reading
Credit:
Chan Pak Kei
E+
Getty Images
Full Answer
To be most effective, the rods should be placed on the tallest parts of the building. The rods are about 12 inches tall, 3/8 inches in diameter and made of aluminum or copper. Contrary to popular myth, lightning rods do not attract lightning, but merely dispel the strikes, according to Modern Lightning Protection, an installation company.
Learn more about ElectricitySources:
Related Questions
-
Q:
Where does lightning come from?
A: Lightning forms when opposite charges between a cloud and the ground or between two clouds develop. The charges have to be large enough to overcome the res... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How wide is lightning?
A: The channel of a lightning bolt is only about the width of a pencil, or less than half an inch. However, a lightning bolt appears to be hundreds of feet in... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What makes lightning?
A: Lightning is caused by an electric current inside a thundercloud that connects with the ground beneath the cloud. Lightning occurs when tiny pieces of ice ... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
On electrical wires, what do the colors red, black, white and green mean?
A: The different colors of electrical wires indicate the function of the wire, with black and red indicating the wires carry electric current, white usually i... Full Answer >Filed Under:
