班傑明富蘭克林與電 Benjamin Franklin and Electricity

雷電能有什麼實用價值？多數人覺得它不是有實用價值的東西：只會讓房子因為受到雷擊而燒燬。富蘭克林認為雷電通常會擊中大樓最高的頂點，他也瞭解雷電中的電流能引發火災；所以他發明了避雷針，，用金屬製成的避雷針必須放在房子的最高處，這樣一來雷電就只會擊中避雷針而非房子本身，電流也會從避雷針引至地面、避免房屋受到損害。富蘭克林認為避雷針是他自己最重要的一項發明。

What could be practical about lightning? Many folks knew what wasn't practical: having your house burn down because it was struck by lightning. Franklin thought he could help. He knew that lightning usually hit the highest part of a building. He also knew that the electrical current in lightning could start a fire. So he invented the lightning rod. A lightning rod is made of metal and is attached to the highest point on a house. The lightning hits the rod instead of the house, and the electrical current from the lightning goes into the ground and leaves the house undamaged. Franklin thought the lightning rod was his most important invention.

4 / 4 頁