Alcohol Clearance Time
Alcohol is eliminated at a roughly constant rate — usually 0.010–0.020% per hour. Divide the concentration by that rate for the time needed.
Your numbers
Time to clear
5.3h
Minutes
320
Formula
Time to clear = BAC ÷ Rate
Coffee, saunas and exercise do not speed elimination up. Only time does.
What to enter
| Input | Default | Accepted range |
|---|---|---|
| BAC (%)Alcohol by weight in 100 mL of blood. | 0.08 | 0 ~ 0.5 |
| Rate (%)The rate applied — usually per year. | 0.015 | 0.01 ~ 0.03 |
Step by step
Quick reference table
Results when only BAC (%) changes and everything else stays put.
| BAC (%) | Time to clear (h) | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.04 | 2.7 | 160 |
| 0.06 | 4 | 240 |
| 0.08 | 5.3 | 320 |
| 0.12 | 8 | 480 |
| 0.16 | 10.7 | 640 |
What each result means
| Result | At default values |
|---|---|
| Time to clear (h)Hours until the alcohol clears; it varies a lot by person. | 5.3 |
| MinutesA duration in minutes — take care not to mix it with hours. | 320 |
Common mistakes
Coffee, saunas and exercise do not speed elimination up. Only time does.
Glossary
- BAC
- Alcohol by weight in 100 mL of blood.
- Rate
- The rate applied — usually per year.
- Time to clear
- Hours until the alcohol clears; it varies a lot by person.
- Minutes
- A duration in minutes — take care not to mix it with hours.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How is Alcohol Clearance Time calculated?
Time to clear = BAC ÷ Rate — Alcohol is eliminated at a roughly constant rate — usually 0.010–0.020% per hour. Divide the concentration by that rate for the time needed.
Q. Can you walk through an example?
With BAC 0.08%, Rate 0.015%, the answer is Time to clear 5.3h.
Q. What do I need to enter?
Enter BAC, Rate. The result recalculates as you type, and an empty box counts as zero.
Q. How much does the answer move if I change a number?
Changing only BAC (%) moves the answer to BAC (%) 0.04 → Time to clear (h) 2.7 and BAC (%) 0.16 → Time to clear (h) 10.7. The table below lays out five steps.
Q. How are the numbers rounded?
Money is shown to the nearest whole unit, percentages to one decimal place and everything else to two. What you see is rounded; the calculation itself carries the unrounded value forward.
Q. Anything to watch out for?
Coffee, saunas and exercise do not speed elimination up. Only time does.
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