The bridge rectifier with Cobra SMARTsense

Principle

Rectifier circuits with individual diodes can only use one half-wave at a time for alternating current. The bridge rectifier avoids this problem by connecting four diodes in such a way that one current path is open for each half-wave.

Benefits

• Particularly comprehensible and didactically prepared description of the experiment (reference to everyday life etc.) incl. protocol questions.
• Teach in a future-oriented way: Integration into digital science lessons with tablets or smartphones.
• Increased motivation among students through use of the intuitive measureAPP.
• Increased media literacy.
• No additional cable connections between the modules necessary - clearer and faster set-up.
• contact safety due to puzzle-like interlocking building blocks
• Hard gold-plated, corrosion-resistant contacts
• Double learning success: electrical circuit diagram visible on the upper side and real components on the lower side

Tasks

Investigate the operation of a bridge rectifier by trying out different polarities for direct and alternating current.

Learning Objectives

After the students have learned about the rectifier effect of a diode, this experiment should help them understand how the bridge circuit, which is primarily used in practice, works. They should learn that by using 4 diodes in a bridge circuit, it is possible to ensure that the current flows in the same direction through the working resistor during each half-cycle of the alternating current.