Consider the circuit of Fig. 7-2a on the next page. An electrolytic capacitor C1 is added in paralled to the load resistor R in the preceding circuit C1 charges alternately through each diode section as the diodes conduct during the alternations when their anodes are positive relative to the common cathode. The polarity of voltage developed acroos C1, which charges to the peak of the input voltage, makes the cathode positive relative to ground. The path through which the capacitor discharges is the parallel load resistance, which is ordinarily very high