Is bridge rectifier the same as rheostat?

jacobgoona · Jan 22, 2021

I’ve been doing my best to get the hang of what a bridge rectifier is for a while now and i’m a bit confused now because I’m not sure if a rheostat is the same thing. I’ve checked a few articles and even this post with video

https://www.derf.com/how-a-bridge-rectifier-works-step-by-step-tutorial/

but I’m still a bit on the fence. Could somebody here explain it to me like I’m 5. I have a hunch that I'm missing something big time. Thanks

sbcsu · Jan 22, 2021

A bridge rectifier is named from the 'Wheatstone Bridge Rectifier'. Normally consists of just 4 diodes.
A rectifier changes AC into DC by switching at the same rate as the alternating current (AC) to send DC out the other side.
A transformer before the rectifier will 'transform' the ac voltage down to a manageable level - for example 12 V AC - this 12 V AC is then fed into the bridge rectifier which will rectify it to 12 V DC.
After the rectifier it will need to be smoothed out using capacitors and other discrete components.

A rheostat is a device that controls/limits the amount of current passing through it. It does not change the current from AC to DC but just limits it - a bit like a volume control that you turn up or down.

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Is bridge rectifier the same as rheostat?

jacobgoona

Systems Engineer

sbcsu

Technical User

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