How do you make working model of lightning conductor?

Answer 1

-- Carefully remove the 'lead' from a wooden pencil that has been sharpened

to a very fine point. You will use this piece of 'lead' as the 'lightning rod' in

your working model of a lightning-protection system.

-- You need a source of very high voltage. This is nothing to play around with,

so I will give no instructions here. You'll have to look elsewhere for advice.

And when you get it, hold onto the person who shows you where to get a

high-voltage source. You'll need his supervision for every step, from there on.

-- You'll construct a circuit consisting of the high-voltage source, a large, blunt

conductor connected to one side of it, and your sharp pencil-lead connected to

the other side. There is no connection between the large, blunt conductor and

the pencil-lead.

When the blunt conductor is moved or waved anywhere in the neighborhood

of the pointy pencil-lead, a long spark will jump from somewhere on the body

of the blunt conductor to the tip of the pointy pencil-lead.

-- The large blunt conductor is the working model of a charged thundercloud.

-- The pointed pencil-lead is the working model of a lightning rod.

-- The long spark is a working model of a lightning discharge.

-- The 'snap' or 'crackle' you hear is a working model of a thunder-clap.

You can't do it from the instructions I've given here. That's intentional.

You need to do this with the help and under the supervision of somebody

who has done it before. Otherwise, there's a very good chance that you'll

hurt yourself or hurt somebody else. Lightning hurts, even if it's only a

working model.