Lightening Rod
- When mounting a pointed iron rod on the highest point of a building, Franklin discovered that it would attract lightning flashes and direct the electrical current to the ground, thus preventing other parts of the building from catching on fire. Lightning rods can be found on buildings today, although most are now made of copper.
Bifocal Lenses
- As a solution to Franklin’s own vision problems, Franklin had the lenses from both pairs of his glasses cut in half and reassembled into one frame. Franklin's idea for bifocals is still the basic model used today for bifocal lenses.
Franklin Stove
In early colonial America most homes were heated by fires in open fireplaces. This caused a great danger because sparks could easily ignite a fire elsewhere in the house. Franklin invented a much safer iron furnace stove. Franklin’s invention better contained the fire within the furnace. Franklin stoves are still in use in some homes today