What is the purpose of a rectifier in electrical circuits?

The primary function of a rectifier in electrical circuits is to convert alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). This process is critical in various applications where DC is required, such as in powering electronic devices, charging batteries, and providing a stable voltage supply in circuits that need it.

Rectifiers achieve this by allowing current to flow in only one direction, effectively blocking the reverse flow that characterizes AC. This can be accomplished through different types of rectifiers, including half-wave and full-wave rectifiers, which use diodes to control the direction of current. The output from a rectifier is not purely DC; it often requires further smoothing or filtering to reduce ripple effects, which is where additional components like capacitors may come into play.

While amplifying signals, measuring circuit resistance, and filtering noise are important functions in electrical engineering, they do not pertain to the core function of a rectifier, which is specifically designed for transforming AC into DC for various applications.