Connecting a Chromebook with HDMI to projector with only VGA

I wanted to connect a Chromebook (Acer C720) to an old projector, however the Chromebook only had HDMI and the projector only had VGA, so I bought a HDMI Male to VGA Female Video Converter Adapter for $11.00 (Amazon). It did not work. I tried four different projectors.  I searched online for hints of what I could do or use to make this work, and found nothing helpful. I was ready to return the adapter, when I tried plugging in the Chromebook to the charger and POP it worked. I tested all four projectors and they all worked.  The Chromebook does not have enough battery juice to do the conversion from HDMI digital signal to VGA analog signal; you have to plug it in to an outlet!
PS: In NHUSD at the K-5 level, you have to be in a "staff" account to use mirroring. 

Here is a tip from Stephen Politzer:

There are two types of HDMI to VGA adapters: passive (no power boost) and active (USB power boost). The adapter you tried is passive. I had an active one at some point but can't find it. What it does is connect the HDMI and VGA AND adds an additional USB power cable to provide more power to the adapter. I suggest trying one of these. 

Cable Matters Active HDMI to VGA Male to Female Adapter with USB Power Cable