How to Make Sugar Rockets

You don't have to spend a lot of money to make a rocket. In fact, you can put together sugar rockets with just a few supplies, many of which you may already have on hand. But don't let the name fool you: these rockets really pack a punch, so be careful when putting them together.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Potassium nitrate
• Powdered sugar
• Rock tumbler
• Sandbags
• Marbles
• Bottle-rocket kit
• Putty

1. Prepare the potassium nitrate. Boil 2 cups of water, and then adding 2 pounds of potassium nitrate until the mixture is dissolved. Continue to boil the water until it has all evaporated and you are left with just a white powder in the bottom of the pot. It may be clumped up at this point, so use a hammer or hard surface to break up the clumps.
2. Break up the potassium nitrate even further. Place the rock tumbler into a sand bag to prevent explosion and place the potassium nitrate chunks inside the empty rock tumbler. Plug it in and let the tumbler grind the chunks into a fine powder. Next, measure the amount of potassium nitrate powder that you have, which will come into play in Step 3.
3. Add powdered sugar to the mix. You want a mixture of 60 percent potassium nitrate and 40 percent sugar, so add the right amount based on your previous measurement. Then tumble the ingredients together, with some marbles thrown in, for a few hours to make sure everything is mixed thoroughly.
4. Put a match to some propellant. Put about 1/8 teaspoon of your potassium nitrate/sugar mixture on a piece of stone or board outside and light it. The propellant should burn quickly and easily.
5. Assemble the rocket. Following the directions on your bottle-rocket kit, use your propellant mixture in place of gun powder or other fuel. Seal up any holes with putty, making sure that the rocket is loaded properly.
6. Test your rocket. Use extreme caution when testing your creation, as it may go up in flames very quickly.

Tips & Warnings

• Potassium nitrate is available in the gardening section of your home improvement store.
• Many cities have regulations about explosives, so always check with the local authorities before attempting such a project.