Final answer:
A user can harm a computer by touching metallic components like a circuit board due to static electricity, which accumulates from rubbing materials together.
Step-by-step explanation:
A user might provoke static discharge, potentially harming a computer by touching something metallic, such as a circuit board or chip. This situation often occurs due to static electricity, which can be generated when rubbing two materials together accumulates charge. For instance, walking across a wool carpet can cause a person to gather static charge, which can then cause a spark when they touch a metal object. The charge built up from static cling, or by rubbing materials together like your feet on a carpet or hands on a balloon, can lead to static discharge when contacting electronic components. To prevent such discharge, one should use a static strap on the wrist, which serves to ground the individual and eliminate the risk of static charge damaging sensitive computer hardware.