CompTIA A+® Certification All-In-One For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

3.2. Avoiding the Dreaded ESD

In this section, I discuss the dangers of servicing a system without taking precautions as to not damage the computer or yourself. Be sure to take this section very seriously!

3.2.1. ESD means electrostatic discharge (not extrasensory deprivation)

When you walk around on carpet, scuffing your feet, you build up a static charge. You walk over to your best friend, touch his or her hand, and zap! — an explosive shock! You feel that static shock because you have a higher static charge than your friend. When two objects with dissimilar charges touch, the excess electrons are transferred to the object with the lesser charge. This is when you feel the shock.

Here comes the important part: That little shock is more than enough to kill a computer chip. So, had you touched a computer component instead of your friend, you would most likely kill the poor little computer chip.

The scary part about all this is that in order for you to feel and hear the shock, you must have a charge of approximately 3,000 volts (V), but only about 200V are needed to kill a computer chip — and just 30V can do long-term damage to a chip.

Transference of static charge to another object — electrostatic discharge (ESD) — is responsible for damaging or killing computer components, such as computer chips. It is your job as an A+ Certified Professional to make sure that you eliminate ESD ...