Are the power adapter and charger the same? If not, what is the difference?

A power adapter and a charger are not the same thing. The differences are as follows:

1. Different definitions. A power adapter is a power supply conversion device for small portable electronic devices and electronic appliances. It is generally composed of a housing, a power transformer, and a rectifier circuit. It can be divided into AC output type and DC output type according to its output type; it can be divided into wall-mounted and desktop types according to the connection method. A charger is a static current conversion device that uses power electronic semiconductor devices to convert AC power with a fixed voltage and frequency into DC power.

2. The charger contains the functions of the adapter, but there are also constant current, constant voltage and other control circuits inside the charger to meet the charging characteristics. The charging control circuit of the adapter is generally completed on the host. For example, mobile phone chargers and laptop chargers are actually just power adapters. They do not include charging control circuits. The charging control is completed inside the mobile phone and computer. The biggest difference between a charger and an adapter is that the charger only charges the battery, while the adapter can not only charge the battery, but also power the host.