Technology evolves fast in today’s world, and we need to catch up with all the new knowledge and information that gets added. There are many terms we need to understand. There are too many cords in a single drawer from different plugs of different devices. A power adapter is one of the terms that may be a little confusing for some. We’ll detail its working in this post.
Basic Definition And Location
Power adapters are called ‘chargers’ and are also known as AC adapters. But naming them chargers is incorrect. A charger is not an external part of a device. A charger’s job is to pass current to the device via the connecting cord. But an adapter is like an external battery source. A charger is simply a carrier of electric current, while an adapter can act as a battery for a device like a computer.
The location of the power adapter is mostly external to the device. It’s a boxy unit that’s at the end of the plugged-in cord. Sometimes an adapter could be in the middle of the cord, and wires may pass through the adapter. Power adapters are used for cell phones, laptops, gaming systems, etc.
What Does a Power Adapter Do?
A power adapter is a current format converter. Electricity has two formats, AC & DC. AC, or alternating current, changes directions frequently from negative to positive poles in a circuit. But DC or direct current is unidirectional in nature. The purpose of having a power adapter is to reduce the device size. Compact devices are easy-to-carry and lightweight. Having a power adapter that can function as an external battery is really helpful in such a situation.
More precisely, a power adapter can do the following:
- Act as an external battery for the device
- Convert AC voltage to a single DC one for a device
- Satisfies specific energy and voltage requirements according to the computer it’s plugged into. This is because every computer has its own set of operational DC voltages. All voltages are sourced from the power adapter and circuits within the system.
- Universal power adapters display an impressive compatibility range and can be plugged into many devices with different outputs, voltage, and wattage ranges.
Advantages Of Using Power Adapters For your Devices
Power adapters are money savers and very safe because of the following reasons:
- Using an AC adapter ensures that the device is free from thermal interference.
- They power a device easily without requiring electricity from the device itself.
- Power adapters don’t take up a lot of space because they often come in a ‘brick’ configuration. This ensures enough room at the wall socket for the device to work properly.
Conclusion
Power adapters are beneficial tools for devices that need an external battery source. It can provide the exact DC voltages your computer or any other device needs. Several safety advantages are associated with its usage. Overall, power adapters are indispensable technological components in the modern scenario.