Lab 12: Diodes

Experiment Report

Name: Caleb Swisher Experiment Date: 12/1/23

Diode Characteristics
Experimenting with Diode 1N4148
Table 1: Diode Characteristics Measurements
Copy and paste your Excel Spreadsheet Table here. Below the table paste the two graphs.

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Experimenting with LED
Table 2: LED Characteristics Measurements
Copy and paste your Excel Spreadsheet Table here. Below the table paste the two graphs.

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Questions

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 ⦁ Does the LED have a similar graph as the diode 1N4148?
Yes, they are similar

⦁ In what way are they similar and in what way are they different?
The graphs both have similar rises, but the Diode begins having current at a lower voltage,
whereas the LED's current begins at a higher voltage

Part 2: Half wave rectifier

Copy and paste a screenshot of the diode half rectified wave below, when in the input
signal is 100 Hz.

Copy and paste a screenshot of the LED half rectified wave below, when in the input
signal is 100 Hz.

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Copy and paste a screenshot of the diode half rectified wave with the capacitor below,
when the input signal is 100 Hz.

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Questions:

⦁ What are the positive peak voltage values of the the input wave and the output
wave in your first screenshot? The diode rectified wave with 4.7 K resistor
Input: 5.172 V
Output: 4.488 V
⦁ If you change the resistor to 100  and perform the experiment what are the peak
values?
Input: 3.595 V
Output: 2.756 V
⦁ If you change the resistor to 10 K  and perform the experiment what are the peak
values?
Input: 5.172 V
Output: 4.54 V
⦁ From the above results what effect does value of the load resistor have on the
output signal
A smaller load results in a smaller output, and a larger load results in a larger output
⦁ When you are using an LED, when you reduce the frequency to 5 Hz what do you
observe?

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 The LEDs begin to flicker
⦁ Why is the peak value of the rectified output less than the peak value of the ac
input and by how much?
The diode has an inherent resistance, resulting in a small voltage drop
⦁ What effect does the capacitor have on the circuit?
The signal will be flattened
⦁ What happens if the direction of the diode is reversed?
The output voltage becomes negative

You can now dismantle the Diode Halfwave rectifier circuit now.

Part 3: Bridge rectifier (A full wave rectifier)

Copy and paste a screenshot of the diode full rectified wave below, when in the input
signal is 100 Hz.

Copy and paste a screenshot of the diode full rectified wave with the capacitor below,
when in the input signal is 100 Hz.

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Questions:
⦁ What are the positive peak voltage values of the input wave and the output wave
in your first screenshot? The diode rectified wave with 4.7 K resistor
Input: 5.172 V
Output: 3.86 V
⦁ When you are using an LED, when you reduce the frequency to 5 Hz what do you
observe?
The light flickers slightly
⦁ If you just reverse one diode in the circuit, how does the output look like? Why
does this happen?
The negative side of the input is truncated while the output is nulled on the normal part of the input
wave and shorter on the previously mentioned truncated side. The reversed diode is conducting
during the wrong part of the cycle, resulting in a shorted input.

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