In a sawtooth waveform, where is the zero reference point located?

In a sawtooth waveform, where is the zero reference point located?

• A. At the positive peak.
• B. Halfway between positive and negative peaks.
• C. At the negative peak.
• D. At one quarter period after the positive peak.

Answer: (B)

The zero reference point is where the waveform crosses zero volts. For a standard sawtooth that linearly sweeps from a negative peak to a positive peak in each cycle, the ramp is uniform, so it crosses zero exactly halfway between the negative peak and the positive peak. In other words, the zero crossing occurs mid-ramp, which is halfway through the period. It’s not at a peak, and it isn’t a quarter-period after the positive peak.

The zero reference point is where the waveform crosses zero volts. For a standard sawtooth that linearly sweeps from a negative peak to a positive peak in each cycle, the ramp is uniform, so it crosses zero exactly halfway between the negative peak and the positive peak. In other words, the zero crossing occurs mid-ramp, which is halfway through the period. It’s not at a peak, and it isn’t a quarter-period after the positive peak.