Hobbies And Interests
Description
Benjamin Franklin discovered the lightning rod in 1749. The rod is a tall vertical metal bar at the apex of a structure. It usually has a circular bar at the top that ranges from a few inches to a few feet in diameter. The rod might be an inch in diameter. The rod connects to a copper conductor, then through electrical wires to the grid at large where it is safely absorbed.
Locations
While lightning rods are generally placed on the tops of very tall buildings where lighting is likely to strike, many other possible locations for these objects exist. In particular, they can be placed on trees, monuments, bridges or boats to protect those places. Tall buildings and open spaces, such as the water, are more susceptible to lightning strikes. However, the lightning rod makes these locations more safe by concentrating the lightning to a single spot.
Tallest Lightning Rods
The world's tallest lighting rods are located on top of the world's tallest buildings. At the time of publication, the tallest building in the world with the tallest lightning rod is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with a height of 2,717 feet. However, the second tallest lightning rod is in the U.S. Although it is not a building, the KVLY-TV tower in Blanchard, North Dakota, is the next tallest at 2,063 feet high.
History
Benjamin Franklin discovered the lightning rod quite serendipitously. Originally, he had planned to experiment by placing one atop Christ Church when it was completed. However, construction was too slow and Franklin decided to conduct his own experiment. Instead, he flew a kite and attached a metal key to it. Of course, the key attracted lighting and the idea for the rod was born.