How does the size and load of a freezer affect the rate of freezing of an item?

Question

I undertsand the size and load of a freezer can affect the rate a freezer will freeze food. I thought the temperature alone was the major factors which determined how fast/slow food freezes in freezer. I am told in a deep freezer -10c may achieve the same rate of freezing for a certain food which on a normal freezer would be achieved at -5c.

So how exactly does size and load of a freezer affect the freezing rate, if the air in both freezer is at -5c constant then what excatly else does the freezer do. please explain.

Answer 1

the set temperature will determine the final, equilibrium temperature, but the rate of cooling is determined by how fast the air inside the freezer can extract the heat from the new (warmer) food. The cold air molecules will heat each time they collide with the food which is at a greater temperature. If the freezer is empty, that molecules will get cold again after colliding with the walls of the refrigerator, or with other air molecules (but the density of air is low, it will take some time) If the freezer is fully loaded, the air molecules will collide more often with cold walls, and will get cold again faster (the surface of all the cold food inside the freezer, not only the walls and the air)