Solution
Core Logic
The question asks for the voltage drop across the diode, not across the resistor.
In an ideal diode model:
- During the positive half cycle of the input, the diode is forward-biased. It acts as a short circuit, meaning the voltage drop across it is zero (vD = 0).
- During the negative half cycle, the diode is reverse-biased. It acts as an open circuit. No current flows through the circuit, so there is no voltage drop across the resistor. Consequently, the entire input voltage appears across the diode (vD = vᵢ).
Step 1: Graph Identification
The graph of vD versus time should therefore be flat (zero) during the positive half cycle, and follow the sine wave deeply into the negative zone during the negative half cycle.
Pattern Recognition
The voltage across the load R shows the positive humps (half-wave rectification). The voltage across the diode shows the exact inverse: zero during forward bias, and negative humps during reverse bias.
Chapter Mix
Class 12 Physics: Semiconductor Electronics Materials Devices and Simple Circuits