Final answer:
The insertion sort generally requires fewer exchanges than the bubble sort because insertion sort efficiently places each element in its correct position in a sorted sublist, unlike bubble sort that successively swaps adjacent out-of-order elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The insertion sort usually performs fewer exchanges (swaps) than the bubble sort. This is because insertion sort maintains a sorted sublist in the lower portion of the list. Each new item is then inserted into the sublist such that the sublist remains sorted, often requiring fewer swaps compared to bubble sort, which repeatedly compares and swaps adjacent pairs of elements to sort the list.
In bubble sort, a swap takes place each time an out-of-order pair is found, which can potentially lead to many swaps for each pass through the list. On the other hand, insertion sort reduces the number of swaps by inserting each element at its proper place, which is a more direct placement compared to bubble sort's repetitive swapping. This typically makes insertion sort more efficient in terms of the number of swaps, especially when the list is nearly sorted or when dealing with small lists.