Explain how does a lightning rod work to prevent your house from being struck by lightning.?

Question

How does information about conductors & insulators fit in?

Also where does the electrical energy goes when it strikes the lightning rod, instead of your house?

Answer 1

There is an electric field enhancement near the tip of the rod, and it's higher than the surroundings. These cause the air to ionize (become conducting) there first. This air becomes part of the lighting since lighting is just ionized air. From there, the current will follow the path of least resistance to ground. Since the resistance of the rod and groundwire are low, the current will follow it safely to the ground.

Answer 2

A lightning rod is placed higher than the house, and the highest point attracts the lightning.  Then the lightning travels by wire to the ground, where it is harmlessly dissipated.

The rod itself as well as the wire are conductors, meaning electricity can travel through it.

The wire will have a plastic/rubber covering to insulate the house from the wire.  Further insulators (usually glass) are used to hold the wire in place.

Answer 3

the lightning rod runs through the ground...it attracts the lightning... metal attracts electricity =]

it is a conductor.... insulators....i dont know what they are used for =]

Answer 4

Good question. The main job of a lightning conductor is NOT to conduct lightning. It is genuinely there to reduce the chances of a lightning strike. It does this by discharging the air above the house. A point on the top of the spike does this by concentrating charge.

In the event that this does not work and lightning does strike, then it will direct the current surge in a direction that does a minimum of damage. However a lighting conductor is not thick enough to carry the current of all lightning strikes without damage.

Question: if a church has a lightning conductor, does this display a lack of faith?

Answer 5

It simply directs the electricity into the ground and prevents your home from being a conductor.