02_06 Normalization of Database Tables

Question 1

An attribute that cannot be further subdivided to produce meaningful components

For example, a person’s last name attribute cannot be meaningfully subdivided

Answer 1

atomic (simple) attribute

Question 2

The transaction property that requires all parts of a transaction to be treated as a single, indivisible, logical unit of work.

All parts of a transaction must be completed or the entire transaction is aborted.

Answer 2

atomicity

Question 3

A special type of 3NF in which every determinant is a candidate key.

Must be in 3NF

Answer 3

Boyce-Codd normal form (BCNF)

Question 4

A process by which a table is changed from a higher-level normal form to a lower-level normal form.

Usually to increase processing speed.

Potentially yields data anomalies

Answer 4

denormalization

Question 5

A representation of all dependencies within a table.

primary key, partial, or transitive

Answer 5

dependency diagram

Question 6

Any attribute in a specific row whose value directly determines other values in that row.

Answer 6

determinant

Question 7

The first stage in the normalization process.

It describes a relation depicted in tabular format, with no repeating groups and a primary key identified. All nonkey attributes in the relation are dependent on the primary key.

Answer 7

first normal form (1NF)

Question 8

A table that is in 3NF and contains no multiple independent sets of multivalued dependencies.

Answer 8

fourth normal form (4NF)

Question 9

The level of detail represented by the values stored in a table’s row.

Answer 9

granularity

Data stored at its lowest level of granularity is said to be atomic data.

Question 10

An attribute that is not part of a key.

Answer 10

nonprime attribute (nonkey attribute)

Question 11

A process that assigns attributes to entities so that data redundancies are reduced or eliminated.

Answer 11

normalization

Question 12

A condition in which an attribute is dependent on only a portion (subset) of the primary key.

Answer 12

partial dependency

Question 13

An attribute that is part of a key or is the whole key.

Answer 13

prime attribute (key attribute)

Question 14

In a relation, a characteristic describing a group of multiple entries of the same or multiple types for a single key attribute occurrence.

For example, a car can have multiple colors for its top, interior, bottom, trim, and so on.

Answer 14

repeating group

Question 15

The second stage in the normalization process, in which a relation is in 1NF and there are no partial dependencies.

Partial dependenies are in only part of the primary key.

Answer 15

second normal form (2NF)

Question 16

When a table is in 2NF and no nonkey attribute is functionally dependent on another nonkey attribute.

It cannot include transitive dependencies.

Answer 16

third normal form (3NF)

Question 17

A condition in which an attribute is dependent on another attribute that is not part of the primary key.

Answer 17

transitive dependency

Question 18

Raw data in its original state.

It might contain redundant data, multivalued data, and/or other data anomalies not found on normalized data relations.

Answer 18

unnormalized data