Question
What is characteristic of a half-wave rectifier in a power supply?
Answer Options
- A) Only one diode is required
- B) The ripple frequency is twice that of a full-wave rectifier
- C) More current can be drawn from the half-wave rectifier
- D) The output voltage is two times the peak input voltage
Correct Answer: A
Explanation
A half-wave rectifier is the simplest rectifier circuit possible. It works by allowing current to flow only during one-half of the AC input cycle, blocking the other half.
Due to this simple operation, only one diode is required to rectify the AC waveform. However, because it only uses half of the waveform, its output contains a high amount of ripple and is generally less efficient than full-wave circuits, making it less desirable for critical applications like amateur radio transceivers.
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