Final answer:
The three solutions closest to a neutral pH are pure water with a pH of 7, human blood with a pH of 7.4, indicating a slight basic tendency, and cherries with a pH of 3.6, which are less acidic than more strongly acidic solutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
When assessing the pH of solutions to determine which are closest to neutral pH, we consider the pH scale where 7 represents a neutral solution. Neutral pH means equal concentrations of hydronium (H3O+) and hydroxide (OH−) ions, commonly found in pure water. The pH scale ranges from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic), with the neutrality point at pH 7, around which solutions are considered nearly neutral.
Acidic solutions have a higher concentration of hydronium ions and a pH lower than 7, while basic solutions have a lower concentration of hydronium ions and a pH higher than 7. In the given examples, pure water, with a pH of 7, is exactly neutral. The other two solutions closest to neutral would be human blood, with a pH of 7.4, indicating a slight basic tendency but still very close to neutral, and cherries, with a pH of 3.6, which is acidic but less so compared to more strongly acidic solutions like wine with a pH of 3.0.
Therefore, the three solutions that were the closest to a neutral pH are pure water, human blood, and cherries.