How many diodes are used in a Half Wave Rectifier?

In a half wave rectifier, only one diode is used to convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). This diode is responsible for allowing current to flow through the circuit during one half of the AC cycle while blocking current during the other half.

During the positive half-cycle of the AC input, the diode becomes forward-biased and conducts, allowing current to flow through the load. In the reverse half-cycle, the diode is reverse-biased and prevents current from flowing, effectively blocking the negative portion of the waveform. This results in a DC output that has only the positive half-cycles of the input signal.

The simplicity of a half wave rectifier, utilizing a single diode, makes it an efficient choice for certain applications where only half of the AC waveform is needed, which is why the correct answer is one diode.