Question

How do you identify a Zener diode?

Answer 1

Step 1: Draw a diagram

Step 2: Explanation

1. A Zener diode is a silicon semiconductor device that allows current to flow in either direction. The diode is made up of a unique, severely doped p-n junction that is designed to conduct in the opposite direction when a particular voltage is attained.
2. Zener diodes may resemble other diodes in appearance.
3. Zener diodes are tested in the same way as normal diodes.
4. The diode is attached to the multimeter, which is set to the diode setting.
5. Connecting the positive of the multimeter to the anode of the diode will reveal the forward-biased voltage of the device.
6. The indicated side, or cathode, of the Zener diode is connected to the multimeter's negative.
7. To determine the reverse-biased voltage, the multimeter leads are turned around. An overload should be seen on the multimeter.
8. The measurable value of current through the Zener diode is observed in both the forward biased and the reversed biased state which shows that the diode is a Zener diode.

Hence, this is how we identify a Zener diode.