Examine the schematic of a half-wave rectifier circuit. Insert the leads of the silicon diode and the resistor onto your electronic breadboard. Connect the cathode lead of the diode to the right lead of the resistor. Connect the positive lead of the waveform generator to the anode lead of the silicon diode. Connect the negative lead of the waveform generator to the left end of the resistor. Connect the positive lead of the oscilloscope to the right lead of the resistor and the negative lead of the waveform generator to the left lead of the resistor.
Turn on the waveform generator. Set the frequency to 1000 Hertz and the peak-to-peak voltage amplitude to 5 volts. Turn on the oscilloscope. Set the oscilloscope's voltage measurement scale to 5 volts peak-to-peak per division. Observe the half-wave rectified waveform on the oscilloscope.
Turn off your waveform generator. Disconnect the right lead of the resistor. Connect the cathode of a second diode to the anode of the first diode. Connect the cathode of a third diode to the anode of the second diode. Connect the cathode of a fourth diode to the anode of the third diode. Connect the cathode of the first diode to the anode of the fourth diode. Connect the right lead of the resistor to the anode of the second diode.
Turn on your waveform generator. Check that the oscilloscope displays a full-wave rectified waveform that has a peak voltage near 4.3 volts.