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buddawiggi | June 24, 2009 09:46 PM | in Science

What do you think would happen if one connected a gigantic electromagnet to a lightning rod?

No switches or anything else confusing, just a direct lightning strike to power the magnet.
We're talking a 12- 24 foot/12-24 inch diameter iron cylinder wrapped in as much copper wire as we could find.

voted interesting: bunnyphuphu

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BEST ANSWER chosen by asker | badaspie | June 25, 2009 05:32 AM

The setup would consist of a copper cable connected to (and as thick as) the lightning rod, then coiled around the iron cylinder, then grounded. However, the intense current from a lightning strike (30-300 kiloamperes) would induce electric currents in the iron cylinder in addition to a magnetic field. Current would arc between the cable and the cylinder as well as between adjacent coils of the cable, which would greatly reduce the effect of the coils in amplifying the magnetic field. Current could also arc to any other conductive objects nearby, including the targets of the electromagnet. It's also possible that induction and arcing might heat the iron beyond its Curie point, making it altogether useless as an electromagnet. Either way, it would probably be more successful as a light show than as a magnet.

source(s):
http://science.howstuffworks.com/electromagnet.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_rod#Lightning_conductors_and_groundi...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curie_point#Curie_point_in_ferromagnetic_mater...

tags: electromagnet, lightning

Asker's rating:

Would the iron stay magnetized? Would it be a powerful magnet?

voted helpful: buddawiggi, bunnyphuphu

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becauseisaidso | June 25, 2009 05:03 AM

In essence, you would either nullify or amplify the effects of the lightning rod depending on the charge the electromagnet produced. Lightning is most likely to strike when a cloud and the ground beneath it have accumulated large opposite electric charges. If they are opposite, you make it a lightning strike magnet, but if the charges are opposite, you aren't going to see any fireworks anytime soon. Hope this helps!

voted helpful: buddawiggi, metalsand

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