The Lightning Rod Was Invented By Benjamin Franklin

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The lightning rod was invented by Benjamin Franklin. In 1746, Franklin saw a public demonstration of static electricity in Europe and began to speculate whether or not lightning discharges in the sky could be related to static electricity. He decided to attempt to "collect" the charge by erecting a long metal rod on the top of Christ Church in Philadelphia.

A lightning stroke is the result of a buildup of static electricity in the clouds in the sky. When the charge becomes large enough it arcs through the atmosphere--stripping electrons from air molecules to make a conducting path that glows brightly as the lightning passes through it---and strikes the earth. (Cloud-to-cloud lightning also occurs.) Since electricity tends to take the shortest