Question

Differentiate between half-wave and full-wave rectification. With the help of a circuit diagram, explain the working of a full-wave rectifier.

Hint:

Full-wave rectifiers are more efficient than half-wave rectifiers as they use both halves of the input AC waveform.

Answer 1

Difference between Half
-Wave and Full
-Wave Rectification:

- Number of Diodes: Half
-Wave Rectifier uses 1 diode, while Full
-Wave Rectifier uses 2 diodes.

- Operation: In Half
-Wave Rectification, conduction occurs during one half cycle of the AC input, whereas Full
-Wave Rectification uses both positive and negative half cycles for conduction.

- Efficiency: Half
-Wave Rectification has a lower efficiency of 40.6\%, while Full
-Wave Rectification has a higher efficiency of 81.2\%.

- Output: Half
-Wave Rectification produces pulsating DC with gaps, whereas Full
-Wave Rectification produces smooth DC with no gaps.

- Peak Inverse Voltage: In Half
-Wave Rectification, the peak inverse voltage is higher, whereas it is lower in Full
-Wave Rectification.
Working of a Full
-Wave Rectifier:
A full
-wave rectifier consists of two diodes arranged in a bridge configuration. When an alternating current (AC) signal is applied to the input of the rectifier, both positive and negative cycles of the AC signal are used for rectification. During the positive half cycle, one diode conducts and the current flows through the load resistor in one direction, while during the negative half cycle, the other diode conducts and the current flows in the same direction through the load resistor.