How the zener diode regulates the voltage at the output?

Zener Diodes can be used to produce a stabilised voltage output with low ripple under varying load current conditions. By passing a small current through the diode from a voltage source, via a suitable current limiting resistor (RS), the zener diode will conduct sufficient current to maintain a voltage drop of Vout.

What happens if the input voltage is less than the zener voltage?

If input voltage is less than that of zener voltage, the output shows same voltage as in the input.

Why Zener diode works as a normal diode?

Because zener diode works as a normal diode in the forward direction and the output voltage Vo across the load will also keep on increasing as If it is connected in forward bias direction then the forward voltage across the zener diode will keep on increasing as the input voltage Vin increases .

What happens to current when voltage is increased in Zener?

When we increase the voltage through Zener in reverse bias mode, first current increases uniformly with it but after it reaches the breakdown state, the current increases massively for a very small or negligible change in voltage. The change is sharper in Zener than the normal diode.

What happens to a diode if the current is too high?

If the current exceeds I Z (Max), the diode will be destroyed. The Zener diode maintains a constant output voltage in the breakdown region, even though the current through it varies. This is an important feature of the zener diode, which can be used in voltage regulator applications.

What is the effect of forward bias on the diode?

Applying a large amount of forward bias causes greater forward current with a small value of forward voltage. However, reverse biasing the diode do not cause conduction of current till high values of reverse voltage are reached. If the reverse voltage is large enough, breakdown occurs and a reverse current starts to flow.