How many diodes are required for a full-wave rectifier?

A full-wave rectifier typically requires two diodes when using a center-tapped transformer configuration. In this setup, the secondary winding of the transformer has a center tap that acts as a ground reference. During the positive half-cycle of the AC input, one diode becomes forward-biased and conducts, allowing current to flow through the load. During the negative half-cycle, the other diode becomes forward-biased and conducts, again allowing current to flow through the same load but in the same direction. This results in a full-wave rectification, where both halves of the AC waveform contribute to the output.

In contrast, other configurations such as bridge rectifiers utilize four diodes, but the question specifically addresses the requirement for a standard full-wave rectifier using a center-tapped transformer, which indeed only requires two diodes.