What type of reaction involves the exchange of ions and results in the formation of new products?

The type of reaction that involves the exchange of ions and results in the formation of new products is a double replacement reaction. In this reaction, the cations and anions of the reactants exchange partners, which leads to the creation of new compounds. This can be represented by the general form:

AB + CD → AD + CB

Here, A and C are cations, while B and D are anions. The resulting products, AD and CB, are different from the original reactants, demonstrating the changes that occur during the exchange.

In contrast, synthesis reactions involve combining reactants to form a single product, while decomposition reactions break a compound down into simpler substances. Single replacement reactions, on the other hand, involve only one element being displaced from a compound and replaced by another element, rather than involving a full exchange between two compounds.