Lightning rod

A conductive rod connected to ground that provides a preferred path for lightning current, reducing the risk of fire and structural damage.

Lightning protection system: An interconnected system of air terminals, conductors, and grounding that directs lightning current safely into the earth. A lightning rod is the air terminal at the top of this broader protective system.
Electric charge: A fundamental property of matter that causes electrical forces and interactions. Charge separation in storm clouds creates the electrical conditions that lead to lightning.
Benjamin Franklin: An American polymath and statesman whose experiments helped establish that lightning is electrical. Franklin proposed a grounded pointed rod to protect buildings from lightning.
Faraday cage: An enclosure of conductive material that shields its interior from external electric fields and electromagnetic effects. A conductive building framework can complement a lightning protection system by providing interconnected current paths.
Franklin lightning rod: A pointed metal air terminal connected by conductors to ground, based on Benjamin Franklin's design. This classic form is a specific design within the broader category of lightning rods.
Grounding: An electrical connection to Earth that provides a path for current and helps limit dangerous voltage differences. The rod must connect to a grounding network to carry lightning current into the soil.
Electric field: A physical field that exerts force on electric charges in space. The field around a storm and a building shapes where a lightning discharge may attach.
Kite experiment: A 1752 experiment associated with Benjamin Franklin that demonstrated electrical properties in a thunderstorm. The experiment strengthened the case for treating lightning as an electrical discharge.
Surge protector: A device that limits transient voltage and diverts excess electrical energy away from connected equipment. A rod protects the structure, while surge protection addresses damaging voltage entering electrical circuits.
Lightning arrester: A protective electrical device that limits overvoltage by diverting surge current to ground. Unlike an air terminal, it protects electrical equipment from surges on power or communication lines.

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