Official Correct Choice:
Option C: Any integer multiple (2 Vm, 3 Vm, 4 Vm, ... n Vm) by adding successive diode-capacitor stages
Concept:Voltage multipliers use cascaded diode-capacitor stages where each stage clamps and peak-rectifies the AC voltage, adding \( 2V_m \) of DC potential per full stage to produce higher DC output voltages.
Formula:$$V_{\text{out}} = n \cdot V_m \quad (n = 2 \text{ for doubler}, 3 \text{ for tripler}, 4 \text{ for quadrupler})$$
Solution:- A single half-wave doubler stage charges two capacitors to produce \( 2V_m \).
- Adding a third diode-capacitor branch produces a voltage tripler (\( 3V_m \)), and a fourth branch produces a quadrupler (\( 4V_m \)).
- Theoretically, cascading \( n \) diode-capacitor stages allows generating any integer multiple \( n V_m \) of DC voltage.
Why other options are incorrect:- Option A: Doubling is the function of a single stage, not the limit of a multi-stage cascade.
- Option B: Tripling is achieved with 1.5 stages, but additional stages can be added.
- Option D: Multipliers step up DC voltage; they do not step it down.
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