Background: Freezing is a common method of food preservation that slows both food decay and the growth of micro-organisms. Besides the effect of lower temperatures on reaction rates, freezing makes water less available for bacterial growth.

Situation: Robert, a baker, has just baked a large batch of cupcakes for his store. He won't be able to sell all of his cupcakes within the next week, so he has decided to store a portion of them in the freezer to preserve them for later. He is trying to decide if he should store the cupcakes at 0° F or at 10° F in the freezer.

Question: Which temperature will result in slower decay of the cupcakes?
Answer: 0° F

Situation: Robert, a baker, has just baked a large batch of cupcakes for his store. He won't be able to sell all of his cupcakes within the next week, so he has decided to store a portion of them in the freezer to preserve them for later. He is trying to decide if he should store the cupcakes at 0° F or at 10° F in the freezer.

Question: Which temperature will result in faster decay of the cupcakes?
Answer: 10° F

Situation: Robert, a baker, has just baked a large batch of cupcakes for his store. He won't be able to sell all of his cupcakes within the next week, so he has decided to store a portion of them in the freezer to preserve them for later. He is trying to decide if he should store the cupcakes at 0° F or at 10° F in the freezer.

Question: Which temperature will result in slower growth of micro-organisms on the cupcakes?
Answer: 0° F

Situation: Robert, a baker, has just baked a large batch of cupcakes for his store. He won't be able to sell all of his cupcakes within the next week, so he has decided to store a portion of them in the freezer to preserve them for later. He is trying to decide if he should store the cupcakes at 0° F or at 10° F in the freezer.

Question: Which temperature will result in faster growth of micro-organisms on the cupcakes?
Answer: 10° F

Situation: Robert, a baker, has just baked a large batch of cupcakes for his store. He won't be able to sell all of his cupcakes within the next week, so he has decided to store a portion of them in the freezer to preserve them for later. He is trying to decide if he should store the cupcakes at 0° F or at 10° F in the freezer.

Question: At which temperature will bacteria present on the cupcakes have slower metabolic reaction rates?
Answer: 0° F

Situation: Robert, a baker, has just baked a large batch of cupcakes for his store. He won't be able to sell all of his cupcakes within the next week, so he has decided to store a portion of them in the freezer to preserve them for later. He is trying to decide if he should store the cupcakes at 0° F or at 10° F in the freezer.

Question: At which temperature will bacteria present on the cupcakes have faster metabolic reaction rates?
Answer: 10° F

Situation: Robert, a baker, has just baked a large batch of cupcakes for his store. He won't be able to sell all of his cupcakes within the next week, so he has decided to store a portion of them in the freezer to preserve them for later. He is trying to decide if he should store the cupcakes at 0° F or at 10° F in the freezer.

Question: At which temperature will more water be available on the cupcakes for bacterial growth?
Answer: 10° F

Situation: Robert, a baker, has just baked a large batch of cupcakes for his store. He won't be able to sell all of his cupcakes within the next week, so he has decided to store a portion of them in the freezer to preserve them for later. He is trying to decide if he should store the cupcakes at 0° F or at 10° F in the freezer.

Question: At which temperature will less water be available on the cupcakes for bacterial growth?
Answer: 0° F

Situation: Robert, a baker, has just baked a large batch of cupcakes for his store. He won't be able to sell all of his cupcakes within the next week, so he has decided to store a portion of them in the freezer to preserve them for later. He is trying to decide if he should store the cupcakes at 0° F or at 10° F in the freezer.

Question: If Robert initially stored the cupcakes at 10° F, but found they were decaying too quickly, would he raise or lower the temperature of the freezer?
Answer: lower

Situation: Robert, a baker, has just baked a large batch of cupcakes for his store. He won't be able to sell all of his cupcakes within the next week, so he has decided to store a portion of them in the freezer to preserve them for later. He is trying to decide if he should store the cupcakes at 0° F or at 10° F in the freezer.

Question: If Robert initially stored the cupcakes at 0° F, but found out that increased bacterial activity could actually make the cupcakes taste better, should he raise or lower the temperature to improve the taste of the cupcakes?
Answer: raise