Valentine's Day Chemistry

Romance is all about chemistry, right? Valentine's Day is February 14th, so you've still got time to find a great gift for your sweetie and impress him or her with your holiday knowledge. Here's some Valentine's Day chemistry content to help you out:

• Gifts Science Geeks Can Make - Hint: fizzy baths bombs tend to be a better gift for this particular holiday than glow-in-the-dark slime. Of course, colored fire is good for every holiday...
• Is There really a 'Chemistry of Love'? - If you don't know the answer, then this FAQ is for you.
• Jacobson's Organ & the Sixth Sense - Do humans respond to pheromones?
• Chemistry of Diamond - Learn about the properties of this popular gift choice.
• Make a Floral Preservative - Keep your Valentine's Day flowers beautiful longer. Actually, there are many easy recipes for making cut flower preservative.
• Paper Chromatography with Flower Petals - Unless you're giving silk flowers, they won't last forever, even if you use a floral preservative. If your Valentine is into chemistry, then include instructions for how to separate out plant pigments with your roses in addition to a sweet card.
• Grow a Silver Crystal - Are you up for a challenge? A silver crystal dangling from a silver chain is a thing of beauty. It takes some time and skill to grow a large crystal, so if this is something that interests you, start growing your crystal early.
• Jewelry Chemistry - Learn about crystals, gems, and precious metals.
• Theobromine Chemistry - Chocolate is the 'food of the gods' (and well-liked by Valentine goddesses, too).

Photo: Valentine's Day flowers and candy. (Andrea Church)