Question

Distinguish between zener diode and rectifier diode...
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Answer 1

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A diode is a semiconductor device which conducts in one direction only

• A Zener diode is a semiconductor device which conducts in forward biased as well as reversed biased.
• A normal diode if operated in reversed biased will get destroyed.

Answer 2

Answer:

A diode is a passive device which allows the flow of current in one direction only. But since there are so many types of a diode, how to differentiate between them and most importantly which one to use according to its requirement in our circuit. “Difference between Zener diode and normal Rectifier diode“

So in this post, we are going to see the basic difference between two of the most widely used diodes: Normal rectifier diode and a Zener diode.

Before jumping to its type, let’s see some basic specifications of a diode:

1. (Vf): indicates fwd voltage drop when current flows from p to n terminal

2. (If): is the maximum fwd current a diode can handle

3. (Vr): is the reverse break down voltage when current flows from n to p terminal

4. (Ir): The amount of current that flows when a diode is reverse biased

5. (Reverse recovery time):

When a diode is switched off suddenly, the fwd current flowing through the diode takes a small amount of time to die down and this time is called Reverse Recovery Time.