Half Wave Rectification
This is a transformer. It steps the voltage down as needed.
Eg: From 220V to 12V
This diode converts AC to pulsing DC.
The peak value is the highest voltage that the waveform will ever reach. An oscilloscope is used to read Peak Measurement of a wave
RMS voltage is the average voltage level of an electrical signal. A multimeter can be used to determine RMS.
Test it out
Tap the diagram for more information and click on the buttons to change a component and see what happens!
 Diode in Positive Direction Diode in Negative Direction Remove Diode
Example calculations
In order to work with Half Wave Rectification, electrical engineers need to understand and work with a variety of calculations. Here are just a few:
Peak Voltage (VP):
$V_P = \sqrt{2} \times VRMS$
Average Voltage (VAVG):
$V_A = V_P \frac{2}{\pi} = 0.637V_P$
RMS Voltage (VRMS):
$VRMS = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} \times V_P$
 Transformer T1 Diode D1 Load Resistance RL1
A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC).
Half wave rectifiers use only one diode, and allow only half the AC wave to pass through, while blocking the other half. They do this by allowing current to flow in only one direction. Depending on the direction the diode is inserted, either the positive or the negative half of the wave is allowed through to the rest of the circuit.
Rectifiers are usually placed after the transformer, and used inside the power supplies of most electrical equipment.
Practice Questions
$V_P = \sqrt{2} \times VRMS$