Concept:A smoothing filter capacitor is placed in parallel with the load resistor so it can maintain the load voltage while the rectified supply falls between pulses.
Formula:$$R_L C \gg T = \frac{1}{f_{\text{ripple}}}$$
Solution:- A shunt capacitor charges to peak voltage during conduction and discharges through the high-resistance load during non-conduction intervals.
- Connecting the capacitor in parallel maintains a relatively constant voltage across the output terminals.
Why other options are incorrect:- Option A: A series capacitor blocks DC current entirely.
- Option B: Placing a capacitor in series with the diode prevents DC load current flow.
- Option D: Placing a capacitor across AC mains forms a reactive AC load without smoothing the rectified DC output.
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