A reaction in which two compounds react to form two different compounds. An element in each compound switch places with one another.
The reaction you are describing is known as a double displacement reaction or a metathesis reaction. In this type of reaction, the cations or anions of two compounds switch places with each other, resulting in the formation of two different compounds.
Here is an example of a double displacement reaction:
AB + CD → AC + BD
In this reaction, compound AB and compound CD react to form compound AC and compound BD. The cation of compound AB (A) swaps with the cation of compound CD (C), while the anion of compound AB (B) swaps with the anion of compound CD (D).
It's important to note that not all double displacement reactions involve the swapping of just one cation and one anion. Some reactions may involve more complex exchanges, depending on the specific compounds involved.