# Charging Cord Debate

**URL:** <https://forum.code.org/t/charging-cord-debate/30513>\
**Category:** Unit and Lesson Discussion\
**Tags:** csd-unit-1-lesson-5\
**Created:** [September 18, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/charging-cord-debate/30513 "2019-09-18T14:33:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![edavis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/edavis/32/4927_2.png) [@edavis](https://forum.code.org/u/edavis)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/charging-cord-debate/30513/1 "2019-09-18T14:33:37Z")

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Ok… I’ve been teaching this lesson for a while now and I can’t seem to come to terms with whether a charging cord is an input. The students always ask and my gut says no, but they have pretty decent arguments for it. So… convince me.

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**Author:** ![mkmietowicz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/mkmietowicz/32/6322_2.png) [@mkmietowicz](https://forum.code.org/u/mkmietowicz)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 11:59pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/charging-cord-debate/30513/2 "2019-09-18T23:59:21Z")

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@edavis I’d go with no on that one. Inputs are ways users give information to the computer so that it can be processed and produce an output. A power cord is more like a way to repair the hardware that has broken, i.e. the battery. I suppose you can argue the technicality that the “charging” indicator works only when the cord is plugged in, but I’d turn back and say that there’s probably a sensor on the battery that actually detects whether it’s being charged, rather than the cord itself being the input device.

That said, what are their arguments? If they can defend their case well enough, I might entertain the idea of giving them some points. 😃

–Michael K.