Franklin was best known for proving that lightning was electrical. He made many other discoveries about electricity. However, he didn’t seek knowledge just to know things.
He thought it should be put to good use. The useful product of his kite-and-key experiment was the lightning rod. It was a pointed iron rod placed on a rooftop. During storms, the rod would attract lightning, which a wire would lead harmlessly from the rod into the ground.
During the 1750s, lightning rods went up everywhere. They increased Franklin’s reputation, but not his bank account. Franklin made little money from any of his inventions. He didn’t patent them, and he’d let anyone copy them.
