Full-wave Rectifier
A centre-tapped full-wave rectifier is supplied from a transformer connected to a 50 Hz line, and it conducts during both halves of every input cycle. What is the ripple frequency of the rectified output delivered to the load?
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About This Question
- Subject
- physics
- Chapter
- semiconductor electronics
- Topic
- full-wave rectifier
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
100 Hz
Unlike a half-wave circuit, a full-wave rectifier uses two diodes (with a centre-tapped transformer) so arranged that one diode conducts during the positive half cycle and the other during the negative half cycle. Crucially, both halves are steered through the load in the same direction, so the negative half of the input is flipped to become a second positive pulse. The two diodes essentially share the work, each handling alternate half cycles while the load always receives current the same way. This means each complete input cycle produces two output pulses instead of one, doubling the rate at which the output rises and falls. Since there are 50 input cycles per second, the output contains (2 \times 50 = 100) pulses per second, giving a ripple frequency of 100 Hz. The value 50 Hz mistakenly treats it like a half-wave output. The value 200 Hz wrongly multiplies by four. The value 25 Hz halves rather than doubles the supply frequency. As a sanity check, doubling the ripple frequency is exactly why full-wave rectified output is easier to smooth: the closer-spaced pulses leave less time for the filter capacitor to discharge, producing steadier DC than a half-wave design at the same supply frequency.
This medium difficulty physics question is from the chapter semiconductor electronics, covering the topic of full-wave rectifier. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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