JAWAHAR NAVODAYA VIDYALAYA,
GURUJANG,KHORDHA
PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
TOPIC:- HALF WAVE RECTIFIER
Submitted by:-
Class:-
Roll number:-
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that
_____________________________
has successfully completed his PHYSICS project titled
HALF WAVE RECTIFIER
under the supervision and guidance of
_______________________________
in the partial fulfillment of the physics practical
assessment conducted during the academic year
2025-2025
SIGNATURE OF PRINCIPAL TEACHER IN CHARGE
___________ __________
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my immense gratitude to my physics
teacher____________________________ for the help and
guidance he provided for completing this project.
I also thank to my parents who gave their ideas and inputs
in making this project. Most of all I thank to our school
management, for providing me the facilities and opportunity
to do this project.
Lastly, I would like to thanks my classmates who have done
this project along with me. Their support made this project
fruitful.
________________________
INDEX
CONTENT PAGE NO.
TOPIC 5
INTRODUCTION 6
THEORY 7
EXPERIMENT 10
PROCEDURE 11
GRAPH 13
OBSEVATION AND CALCULATION 14
RESULT AND CONCLUSION 15
APPLICATION 16
PRECAUTIONS 17
TOPIC
Physics investigatory project on
HALF WAVE RECTIFIER
INTRODUCTION
-A rectifier a simple diode or group of diodes which convert
the Alternating Current(AC) into Direct Current(DC).
-We know that a diode allows electric current in one direct-
ion and blocks electric current in another direction. We are
using this principle to construct various types of rectifiers.
-Rectifiers are classified into different types based on the
number of diodes used in the circuit or arrangement of diodes
in the circuit. The basic types of rectifiers are : Half wave
rectifier and Full wave rectifier.
-A half wave rectifier is a type which converts the positive
half cycle(positive current) of the input signal into pulsating
DC (Direct current) output signal. The half wave rectifier is
the simplest form of the rectifier. We use only a single diode
to construct the half wave rectifier.
-The half wave rectifier is made up of an AC source, transformer
(step-down),diode and resistor(load).The diode is placed
between the transformer and resistor(load).
THEORY
-The half-wave rectifier circuit is made by using a semiconductor
diode(D) with a load resistance R. The diode is connected in series
with the secondary of the transformer and the load resistance R.
the primary of the transformer is being connected to the AC supply.
-The AC voltage across the secondary windings changes polarities
after every half cycle of input wave. During the positive half-cycles
of the input AC voltage i.e. when upper end of the secondary
windings is positive with respect to its lower end , the diode is
forward biased and therefore conducts current. If the forward
resistance of the diode is assumed to be zero(in practice , however,
a small resistance exists) the input voltage during the positive half
cycles is directly applied to the load resistance R, making it’s upper end
positive with respect to its lower end. The waveforms of the output
current and output voltage are of the same shape as that of the input
AC voltage.
-During the negative half cycles of the input AC voltage i.e. when
the lower end of the secondary winding is positive with respect to
it’s upper end, the diode is reverse biased and so does not conduct.
Thus, during the negative half cycles of the input AC voltage, the
current through and voltage across the load remains zero. The
reverse current, being very small in magnitude, is neglected. Thus,
for the negative half cycles no power is delivered to the load.
-Thus, the output voltage(VL) developed across load resistance R is
a series of positive half cycles of alternating voltage, with interven-
ing very small constant negative voltage levels, It is obvious from
Figure that output is not a steady DC, but only a pulsating DC wave.
To make the output wave smooth and useful in a DC power supply,
we have to use a filter across the load. Since only half cycles of the
input wave are used, it is called a HALF WAVE RECTIFIER.
-Output of half wave rectifier is not a constant DC voltage. In real life
Appliances, we need a power supply with smooth wave forms. In
Other words, we desire a DC supply with constant output voltage.
A constant output voltage from the DC supply is very important as it
Directly impacts the reliability of the electronic device we connect
To the power supply. We can make the output of half wave rectifier
Smooth by using a filter across the diode.
EXPERIMENT
MEASUREMENT OF CURRENT USING HALF WAVE
RECTIFIER
AIM:-
To determine the current by measuring voltage and resistance using
HALFWAVE RECTIFIER.
MATERIALS REQUIRED:-
a)Diode
b)Capacitor(50V)
c)Voltmeter
d)Resistance box
e)AC supply
f)Wires for connection
PROCEDURE
• Take an AC supply and connect it to switch.
• Connect the terminal part of AC to the p part of the diode using
wire.
• Now connect the other part of the AC terminal to the capacitor
• Connect the n-part of the diode to the capacitor.
• Connect the both ends of a capacitor to the resistance box.
• Place a connection between voltmeter and resistance box by
joining the terminals of voltmeter.
• Now power on the switch and find out the resultant voltage by
changing the resistance box.
• Calculate the current by measuring the mean voltage and
resistance using ohm’s law.
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
GRAPH
OBSERVATION
RESISTANCE VOLT (in V)
1 0.7
2 1.1
3 1.4
4 1.6
5 1.8
RESULT
The average current produced by Half-wave rectifier is 0.264 A.
CONCLUSION
-A half wave rectifier is rarely used in practice. It is never preferred as
the power supply of an audio circuit because of the very high ripple
factor. High ripple factor will result in noises in input audio signal,
which in turn will affect audio quality.
-Advantages of a half wave rectifier is only that its cheap, simple and
easy to construct. It is cheap because of the low number of
components involved. Simple because of the straight forwardness
In circuit diagram.
-Measuring the mean current flow helps us to understand the
amount of AC current passed through it.
APPLICATION
-In day to day life, the half-wave rectifier is mostly used in low power
applications because of it’s major disadvantages being the output
amplitude which is less than the input amplitude. Thus ,power is
wasted and output is postulated DC resulting in excessive ripple.
Some of the uses and applications of rectifiers are in:-
-Appliances
-Used with transformers
-Soldering
-AM radio
-Pulse generated circuits
-Single demodulation
-Voltage multiplier
Advantages of Half wave rectifier
-Simple circuit with a smaller number of components
-Economical at initial state. Although there is a higher cost over time
due to more power losses
Disadvantages of Half wave rectifier
-Converts only one cycle of the sinusoidal input given to it and the
Other cycle gets wasted. Thus, giving more power loss.
-Produces lower output voltage
PRECAUTIONS
-Do not switch on the circuit before checking whether it is correct
or not.
-Capacitor of less volt may be connected to the diode.
-Diode should be connected in forward bias.