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CompTIA

220-801 · Question #9

When a grounding strap is not available, a technician can ground by touching the computer's:

The correct answer is A. power supply. The power supply unit (PSU) has a metal chassis that is connected to earth ground through the power cord (via the third grounding prong), even when the system is powered off but still plugged in. Touching the PSU's metal casing provides a path to dissipate any electrostatic…

Hardware

Question

When a grounding strap is not available, a technician can ground by touching the computer's:

Options

  • Apower supply.
  • BCPU fan.
  • Cmemory chips.
  • Dmotherboard.

How the community answered

(54 responses)
  • A
    91% (49)
  • B
    2% (1)
  • C
    2% (1)
  • D
    6% (3)

Explanation

The power supply unit (PSU) has a metal chassis that is connected to earth ground through the power cord (via the third grounding prong), even when the system is powered off but still plugged in. Touching the PSU's metal casing provides a path to dissipate any electrostatic charge built up on the technician's body before handling sensitive components. Touching the CPU fan, memory chips, or motherboard directly without grounding first risks discharging ESD (electrostatic discharge) into those sensitive components, potentially damaging them.

Topics

#ESD protection#grounding#static discharge#safety

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