A Lightning Conductor is a metal rod that is mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to earth through a wire to protect the building in the event of a lightning strike. If lightning strikes in the near vicinity of the roof, it will preferentially strike the lightning rod and be conducted through the wire down to the ground in a safe manner instead of passing through the building and causing injury or fire. The lightning rod itself is a single component in a large system of a lightning protection system. In addition to the rods installed at regular intervals at the highest point of the structure, a lightning protection system includes multiple conductive paths from the roof to the ground, bonding connections to metal parts in the building and a grounding network. The actual lightning rod is typically made from copper or aluminium. These protection systems are normally installed on buildings, bridges, water towers and even trees to protect people and the structure from lightning damage. The lightning rod was invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1749.
