What is LK-99?

LK-99, also known as Lee-Kim 1999, is a gray-black, polycrystalline compound identified as a copper-doped lead‒oxyapatite, which was first studied as a potential superconductor by a team from Korea University led by Lee Sukbae and Kim Ji-Hoon in 1999. This material has been a subject of interest due to its potential to revolutionize various fields, including power transmission, magnetic levitation trains, and quantum computers, although its actual properties and capabilities have been debated and questioned by the scientific community.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

1. What does LK-99 stand for?: LK-99 stands for Lee Kim 1999, named after the principal authors of the research paper, Sukbae Lee and Ji-Hoon Kim.
2. What is LK-99 used for?: LK-99 could potentially be used to make power transmission more efficient and less costly, create magnetic levitation trains, develop quantum computers, and more, although these claims are still speculative and require further verification.
3. What would LK-99 do?: If proven to be a superconductor, LK-99 could help make nuclear fusion a reality and enable the creation of levitating trains, among other revolutionary applications.

Properties and Characteristics

4. Is LK-99 a superconductor?: The current evidence suggests that LK-99 is not a superconductor, but rather an insulator with high resistance, showing minor ferromagnetism and diamagnetism.
5. What are the ingredients in LK-99?: LK-99 is made from a combination of lead, copper, phosphorus, and oxygen, with a chemical formula of Pb10-xCux(PO4)6O, where x ≈ 1.
6. How is LK-99 made?: LK-99 is synthesized from two precursors, lanarkite (PbSO4·PbO) and copper phosphide (Cu3P), through a complicated process.

Significance and Impact

7. What is the significance of LK-99?: The significance of LK-99 lies in its potential to change the engineering philosophy in the development of room-temperature superconductors, although this potential has not been fully realized.
8. Has anyone replicated LK-99?: Yes, several attempts have been made to replicate LK-99, but the results have been inconsistent, with many replicas not showing the expected superconducting properties.
9. Is LK-99 verified?: As of now, the verification committee has not agreed that LK-99 is a superconductor, and the measured properties do not prove its superconductivity.

Historical Context and Biblical References

10. When was LK-99 discovered?: LK-99 was first discovered in 1999 by a team from Korea University led by Lee Sukbae and Kim Ji-Hoon.
11. Did Jesus leave 99 sheep?: According to the Bible, Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep, where a shepherd leaves 99 sheep to search for the one that went astray, symbolizing God’s love and care for all individuals.
12. What did Jesus say about leaving the 99?: Jesus said that the shepherd would leave the 99 on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray, and rejoice over it more than over the 99 that never went astray.

Market and Value

13. How expensive is LK-99?: Currently, one LK-99 coin can be purchased for approximately $0.000000015645, although its actual value and market demand are uncertain.
14. Is LK-99 a new element?: No, LK-99 is not a new element, but rather a compound that has been known for over a quarter of a century.
15. What are the potential applications of LK-99?: While the actual properties of LK-99 are still debated, its potential applications could include power transmission, magnetic levitation trains, quantum computers, and more, although these claims require further verification and research.