What is the primary function of an anti-static wrist strap while handling computer components?

The primary function of an anti-static wrist strap is to safely discharge static electricity. When handling sensitive computer components, static electricity generated by the body can accumulate and pose a risk of electrostatic discharge (ESD) to these components, potentially causing damage. The wrist strap is designed to provide a direct path for static electricity to dissipate safely to the ground, thus preventing the buildup of harmful static charges.

Using an anti-static wrist strap ensures that both the person handling the components and the components themselves remain at the same electrical potential, which minimizes the risk of ESD damage. This is particularly crucial when working with delicate parts like CPUs, RAM, and circuit boards, as they are highly susceptible to even small levels of static discharge.

While other options may seem relevant, they do not accurately describe the main role of the wrist strap. For instance, increasing static electricity is counterproductive in this context, maintaining a grounding connection to the device is important but secondary to the act of discharging any built-up static, and preventing overheating is unrelated to the function of an anti-static wrist strap.