How many \"pulses\" of current are there in each AC cycle?

• A. 1
• B. 2
• C. 3
• D. 4

Answer: (B)

Two peaks appear in each AC cycle when the circuit uses full‑wave rectification, because both the positive and negative halves of the sine wave are converted to positive current. Each peak represents a pulse, so you observe two pulses per cycle. If the circuit used only half of the cycle, you would get one pulse per cycle; with full‑wave you get two, which also means the ripple frequency is double the mains frequency (for example, 60 Hz mains gives 120 Hz ripple).