A pulsed current is defined as which?

• A. It is a continuous DC wave
• B. It is a pure sinusoidal AC
• C. It is a current that flows only during one half cycle
• D. It is an interrupted DC current

Answer: (D)

Pulsed current means current that comes in bursts with pauses in between, so the flow is present during a pulse but stops between pulses. During each pulse the current behaves like direct current with a constant direction, but it’s interrupted by intervals of zero current. That’s why it’s best described as interrupted DC current. It's not continuous DC, which never stops; nor is it pure sinusoidal AC, which continuously alternates polarity. It isn’t just a single half-cycle either—the idea of pulsed current is repeating on/off bursts, all in the same direction, rather than a single half-cycle event.