Final answer:
On average, the body takes about 1 hour to eliminate the alcohol from one standard drink, though individual rates can vary.
Step-by-step explanation:
It takes the body, on average, approximately 1 hour to eliminate the alcohol contained in one standard drink. This rate can vary depending on individual metabolism rates, which can differ by 25-30%. Women metabolize alcohol slightly slower than men. Alcohol metabolism involves a series of metabolic reactions where the liver plays a key role, processing up to 98% of the circulating ethanol. Although factors such as body size and the amount of alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver can influence individual rates, an average 70 kg person typically takes about 2.5 hours to fully metabolize the ethanol content of a standard drink, but for the purposes of general guidance, 1 hour is the average time it takes for a drink to be metabolized.