How does a surge suppressor protect electrical equipment?

A surge suppressor protects electrical equipment primarily by absorbing excess voltage. When a surge occurs—often due to lightning strikes, power line disturbances, or large electrical devices turning on and off—the surge suppressor acts as a safeguard. It does this by diverting or dissipating the excess voltage, preventing it from reaching sensitive electronic components.

Surge suppressors typically utilize components like metal oxide varistors (MOVs) or gas discharge tubes, which are designed to conduct electricity when the voltage exceeds a certain threshold. This allows them to shunt excess voltage away from the connected devices, thus protecting them from potential damage caused by high voltage spikes.

The other choices describe different functionalities that are not the primary role of a surge suppressor. Regulating voltage is more about maintaining a steady voltage level, amplifying current flow can lead to overloading devices, and modifying frequency pertains to changes in signal cycles, which are unrelated to protection from voltage surges.