lightning conductor (1 Viewer)

[1234567]

from what i've read, there are two types or there are two ways of how they work

1.
charges are being forced out from the tip of the conductor ionising the air around it pretventing a discharge

2.
purposely attract lighting and the earth it

which one is the correct one?

 

[Jellymonsta]

2nd one is how i was taught
i cant see how that first one would really work...

 

[1234567]

but isn't that how it was written in jacaranda?

i was tought of both method in tuition,,,,,,,and didn't listen in school......

 

[kaseita]

for 1), charges aren't forced out. the air is ionised through induction.
so if you have a positively charged lightning rod, then it will force the positive charges in the area away, and attract the negative charges, so effectively ionising the air around it.
in doing so, if the air was negatively charged say before, then it will be neutralised by the positive charges.
its not as effective though, which is why the main purpose of a lightning rod is to act as a low-resistance pathway for a lightning strike to hit, in order to protect the structures around it. in a way, it attracts the lightning, since its the lowest resistance path to the earth.

 

[BlackJack]

Hmmm... try looking at it this way:

1) Lightning rods do prevent a discharge, but it does so because the earth is positively charged relatively (therefore rod is positive) and the electrons built up before a lightning could strike dispels through the rod. This also ionises the air around the rod.

2)If the buildup is too quick, the eventual lightning follows the path of least resistance, which is still the rod, like we say.
---
I don't think charge could be 'forced' out (maybe positive charges). But Im just repeating what's been said.

 

[1234567]

ok so both of the above works
just that in different situation it worked in different ways?

 

[BlackJack]

yes.

edit: !!!