Input (grade 13): The patent was granted due to a fault in Franklin's original theory of operation; the pointed lightning rod actually ionizes the air around itself, rendering the air conductive, which in turn raises the probability of a strike.
Output (grade 11): The patent was granted due to a fault in Franklin's original theory of operation; the pointed lightning rod actually ionizes the air around itself. This makes the air conductive, which in turn raises the probability of a strike.