Final answer:
A heavier person does not necessarily eliminate alcohol faster than a lighter person, as the rate of alcohol metabolism depends on the liver's capacity and presence of alcohol dehydrogenase. Additionally, gender and other factors can influence the metabolic rate, with women metabolizing more slowly than men. It takes about five hours for a person at the legal BAC limit to achieve sobriety.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of whether a heavier person can eliminate alcohol faster than a lighter person involves understanding alcohol metabolism. The rate at which alcohol is metabolized in the body is largely determined by the liver. On average, a person's liver metabolizes a constant amount of alcohol per hour, regardless of the total amount consumed, which is dependent on factors such as the presence of alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver and body size.
While a higher body mass may affect BAC levels, it does not necessarily increase the liver's capacity to metabolize alcohol. Therefore, if two people consume the same amount of alcohol, the heavier person may not eliminate alcohol faster than the lighter person due to their liver's metabolic rate. Moreover, factors such as gender, age, and health conditions can also influence alcohol metabolism, with women generally metabolizing alcohol slower than men.
Despite potential variations in individual metabolism rates, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a critical indicator of alcohol's immediate effects. Achieving sobriety after reaching the legal limit for intoxication of a BAC of 0.08 generally takes at least five hours because the liver needs time to fully metabolize the ingested alcohol.