Sugar Rocket Motor

I built a small solid-fuel rocket motor using a mixture of potassium nitrate (KNO₃) and sugar in a 70:30 ratio. When ignited, the mixture produced hot gases and thrust, demonstrating the basic working principle of a rocket engine.

1. Potassium Nitrate (KNO₃)
2. Granulated Sugar
3. container pipe (as the motor casing)
4. Mixer/Grinder (for fine powder mixing)
5. Drill or rod for packing fuel
6. Fuse or ignition wire
7. Safety equipment (gloves, goggles, outdoor testing area)

I prepared the fuel by combining finely ground sugar and potassium nitrate in a 70:30 ratio by weight. The powders were mixed thoroughly to form a solid propellant.

The propellant mixture was packed into a pipe casing. A hollow core was left in the center to help with ignition and ensure efficient burning.

For ignition, I soaked a cotton thread in the same sugar–KNO₃ solution. Once dried, the thread acted as a reliable wick. This was inserted into the hollow channel of the motor.

On ignition, the sugar–KNO₃ mixture burned rapidly, producing gas and thrust. The reaction successfully demonstrated the principle of a solid-fuel rocket engine on a small scale.