Last Friday in class we made our own rocket fuel and tested them, too.
Before starting this lab, we learned about chemical reactions and what kind of reaction our fuel would have. A chemical reaction is a process in which one of more substances changes into one or more new substances and the only way to create a reaction is to add energy, like heat. There are two types of reactions: endothermic reactions and exothermic reactions. An endothermic reaction is a reaction where energy is absorbed, and an exothermic reaction is where energy is released. For rocket fuel testing, we would get an exothermic reaction.
Chemical Equation: 5C12H22O11 + 48KNO3 → 24K2CO3 + 3602 + 55H2O + 24N2
For the rocket fuel making, we used sugar and potassium nitrate as the fuel. We grinded these solids and packed them tightly into a cylinder made of paper with tape on the bottom. After packing the fuel tightly. we packed aluminum foil tightly on the top to act as the cap. Afterwards, we drilled a hole into the cylinder to make room for the fuse. Once the fuse or wick was in the cylinder, we taped it to a skewer and we were ready to launch. Watch the video below to see my rocket lift off.
When the fuse was lit, I began to get excited about how my rocket might turn out. As you can see, my rocket flew very high and I was very proud of the outcome. It was amazing to see something I worked on succeed. In fact, my rocket was one of the few that actually flew into the air. Many people asked what I did differently to get a successful result, and I think it was because I made sure my fuel was packed tightly into the cylinder, and the aluminum cap was also packed tightly. I think since it was packed so tightly. I was able to add the maximum amount of fuel needed and pressure could build up easily and this resulted in a successful exothermic reaction.
After this lab, I found myself a little more interested in the rocket building process. During the lesson before the lab, I understood the chemical reaction process very clearly and found it interesting to learn about the two types of chemical reactions. I started to look back at previous labs and compared if the reaction was exothermic or endothermic. Overall, I learned a lot in this lab, not only about rockets, but also myself. I was a bit hesitant to begin this lab and wasn't looking forward to it too much. I've never found an interest in rocket fuel, but after learning about the process and why the chemical reaction happens.