Enter the peak voltage or the DC voltage into the calculator to determine the missing variable for a half wave rectifier.

Half Wave Rectifier Voltage Calculator

Enter any 1 value to calculate the missing variable

Half Wave Rectifier Voltage Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the DC voltage for a given peak voltage in a half wave rectifier. 

V_{dc} = \frac{V_{peak}}{pi}

Variables:

  • Vdc is the DC voltage
  • Vpeak is the peak voltage
  • Ï€ is the mathematical constant Pi (approximately 3.14159)

To calculate the DC voltage, divide the peak voltage by π. This formula is derived from the average value of the rectified output voltage over one complete cycle of the input AC signal.

What is a Half Wave Rectifier?

A half wave rectifier is a type of rectifier that converts only one half of the input AC signal into a pulsating DC signal. It uses a single diode to allow current to pass through only during the positive half cycles of the AC input. The result is a DC output that pulsates in sync with the input AC signal, but with only half the waveform present. Half wave rectifiers are simpler and cheaper than full wave rectifiers, but they are less efficient and produce more ripple in the output.

How to Calculate Half Wave Rectifier Voltage?

The following steps outline how to calculate the DC voltage for a half wave rectifier.

  1. First, determine the peak voltage (Vpeak) of the AC input signal.
  2. Next, use the formula Vdc = Vpeak / π to calculate the DC voltage.
  3. Finally, check your answer with the calculator above.

Example Problem : 

Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.

Peak Voltage (Vpeak) = 10V

DC Voltage (Vdc) = 3.18V