Question

Explain how a lightning conductor protects a building from getting struck by lightning.

Answer 1

To answer this question, we must know about the concept used in lightning conductors and what a lightning conductor is. A lightning conductor is a metal rod installed on a structure and connected to the ground below to protect it against lightning damage. Its function is to provide lightning with a low-resistance path to the earth, allowing it to pass through without damaging the structure.

Complete step by step answer:
Now let us understand how a lightning conductor protects a building from lightning strokes.A thick copper wire or strip is attached to the tallest point of a building and connected to a long copper earth pole hammered deep into the ground at the building's side is called a lightning conductor.

Rather than having the current of a lightning stroke run through the fabric of the building, the goal of a building's lightning conductor is to provide a low resistance path for lightning.The top of the conductor which is made up of copper is pointed, and when the charge builds up preceding a stroke, it will ionise the air, causing the charge to be leaked away before the voltage gets adequate for a stroke to occur. This does not always work, but if the lightning conductor is placed properly on the building, all of the current will safely pass down the conductor to the ground.

Note: It protects structures from lightning strikes by allowing the current to travel to the ground rather than through the structure.The current in the conductor may be so high in the event of a direct lightning strike that it melts or evaporates the metal, but the damage to the building will be minimal. The lightning conductor carries the charges to the ground, preventing them from accumulating on the structure. This protects the structure against lightning strikes.