lightning rod
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AI overview
A lightning rod is a metal rod or metallic object installed on buildings or structures to protect them from lightning strikes by safely directing the electrical discharge into the ground. This protects the building and people inside from fire, electrical damage, and other dangers that occur when lightning hits.
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Article
Diagram of a simple lightning protection system Lightning striking the lightning rod of the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada. A lightning rod or lightning conductor (British English) is a metal rod mounted on a structure and intended to protect the structure from a lightning strike. If lightning hits the structure, it is most likely to strike the rod and be conducted to ground through a wire, rather than passing through the structure, where it could start a fire or cause electrocution. In technical documents, lightning rods are generally referred to as 'strike termination devices'.
In a lightning protection system, a lightning rod is a single component of the system. The lightning rod requires a connection to the earth to perform its protective function. Lightning rods come in many different forms, including hollow, solid, pointed, rounded, flat strips, or bristle brush-like. The main requirement for all lightning rods is that they are all made of conductive materials, such as copper and aluminum. Copper and its alloys are the most common materials used in lightning protection.