what is a lightning conductor? how does it help?
what is a lightning conductor? how does it help?
A lightning conductor is a copper rod with sharp spikes fixed on top of a building to protect buildings during a thunderstorm is a lightning conductor .
If there is accumulation of moisture in the atmosphere, there is thunderstorm. This occurs mostly during summer when the sun is hot and keeps soaking up water from the ground.This moist air rises to form small clouds and gradually increases to a huge cloud. Due to extreme cold conditions large water drops and ice crystals form inside the cloud. They are supported by powerful winds. An electric voltage is produced between the upper and lower layers of the clouds when they collide and rub against each other. This voltage, when it is sufficiently high is discharged in the form of lightning.
Usually, during a thunderstorm the clouds become negatively charged. Induction takes place between the clouds an the earth. The earth becomes positively charged and the charges leap upwards to the clouds resulting in a flash which we see as lightning.
Lightning chooses the easiest path and the lightning conductor provides this easy path. Instead of induction taking place between the earth and the cloud, induction takes place between the cloud and the lightning conductor and the conductor safely carries the charges to the ground instead of harming the building.
A lightning conductor is a copper rod with sharp spikes fixed on top of a building to protect buildings during a thunderstorm is a lightning conductor .
If there is accumulation of moisture in the atmosphere, there is thunderstorm. This occurs mostly during summer when the sun is hot and keeps soaking up water from the ground.This moist air rises to form small clouds and gradually increases to a huge cloud. Due to extreme cold conditions large water drops and ice crystals form inside the cloud. They are supported by powerful winds. An electric voltage is produced between the upper and lower layers of the clouds when they collide and rub against each other. This voltage, when it is sufficiently high is discharged in the form of lightning.
Usually, during a thunderstorm the clouds become negatively charged. Induction takes place between the clouds an the earth. The earth becomes positively charged and the charges leap upwards to the clouds resulting in a flash which we see as lightning.
Lightning chooses the easiest path and the lightning conductor provides this easy path. Instead of induction taking place between the earth and the cloud, induction takes place between the cloud and the lightning conductor and the conductor safely carries the charges to the ground instead of harming the building.
