On 3 Nov 2004 06:13:16 -0800, (bob peterson) wrote:

(Scott Lurndal) wrote in message .com...
(bob peterson) writes:
w_tom wrote in message ...

snipped

A couple of things. Grounding (hooking up to a grounding electrode)
is really not so much a matter of human safety as it is to provide a
path for lightning and a way to equalize voltages.

Please calculate the the cross-sectional area of a conductor required
to carry the current from a lightning strike, and compare and contrast
that with the typical #12AWG cross-sectional area.

Grounding an electrical system will not provide a path for lightning.

scott

of course it does. lightning wants to find a path to ground. it will
either do it through your home or you can provide it a way to get to
ground easier. the idea is to make it easier for lightning to go to
earth through the ground rod rather then through your house to earth.

hence, the old lightning rods on houses?