This document summarizes cation exchange and its role on soil behavior. It discusses how clay minerals develop a negative surface charge through isomorphous substitution, allowing them to adsorb positively charged ions. The document examines different clay structures and how they influence cation exchange capacity and other properties. It explores relationships between cation exchange capacity, specific surface area, clay fraction, and engineering properties like Atterberg limits, dispersion, hydraulic conductivity, swelling potential, and compressibility. The key role of cation exchange in affecting various physical behaviors of fine-grained soils is established.