Q.In a half-wave rectifier circuit using an ideal p-n junction diode and a resistive load, the AC input has a frequency of $50\ \text{Hz}$. State the frequency of the pulsating output and the fraction of each input cycle for which current flows through the load.

A half-wave rectifier uses a single diode, which conducts only during the half-cycle for which it is forward biased and blocks current during the other half-cycle. So exactly ONE output pulse is produced per full input cycle, meaning the pulsating output repeats at the SAME frequency as the AC input, $50\ \text{Hz}$. Since the diode conducts for exactly one of the two halves of each cycle (assuming an ideal diode with negligible forward drop), curre …

Recall a half-wave rectifier produces one output pulse per input cycle (same frequency), conducting for e …

• Assuming the output frequency doubles (that is a FULL-wave rectifier's behaviour, not half-wave).
• Forgetting a REAL diode's small forward knee voltage would trim the conducting fraction slightly b …