Chapter 3 Flashcards
A relation is a three-dimensional table
False
All relations are tables, but not all tables are relations
True
A characteristic of a relation is that the cells of the relation hold a single value
True
A characteristic of a relation is that the rows of a relation may hold identical values
False
A relation is a table composed of columns and rows
True
In relational terms as defined by E.F. Codd, a row is called a tuple
True
In relational terms as defined by E.F. Codd, a column is called an attribute
True
The columns of a relation are sometimes called tuples
False
A tuple is a group of one or more columns that uniquely identifies a row
False
A functional dependency is a relationship between attributes such that if we know the value of one attribute, we can determine the value of the other attribute
True
If by knowing the value of A we can find the value of B, then we can say that B is functionally dependent on A
True
In functional dependencies, the attribute whose value is known or given is referred to as the determinant
True
Attribute Y is functionally dependent on attributes X if the value of attribute X determines the value of Y
True
The functional dependency noted as A -> B means that the value of A can be determined from the value or B
False
In the functional dependency shown as A -> B, B is the determinant
False
Functional dependencies can involve groups of attributes
True
Given the functional dependency (A, B) -> C, the attributes (A,B) are referred to as a composite determinant
True
Given the functional dependency A -> (B, C), then it is true that A -> B and A -> C
True
Given the functional dependency (A, B) -> C, then it is true that A -> C and B -> C
False
Given the functional dependency A -> B, then it is necessarily true that B -> A
False
A determinant of a functional dependency may or may not be unique in a relation
True
A key is a combination of one or more columns that is used to identify particular rows in a relation
True
A row can be uniquely identified by a key
True
A combination key is a group of attributes that uniquely identifies a row
False
A key can be composed of a group of attributes taken together
True
It is possible to have a relation that does not have a key
False
A candidate key is one of the group keys that may serve as the primary key in a relation
True
A relation can have only one candidate key
False
A primary key is a candidate key that has been selected to uniquely identify rows in a relation
True
A surrogate key is artificial column that is added to a relation to be its primary key
True
A surrogate key usually slow performance
False
Surrogate keys are normally not shown on forms or reports
True
A foreign key is one or more columns in one relation that also is the primary key in another table
True
A relation
Has rows containing data about an entity, has columns containing data about attributes of the entity, has cells that hold only a single value, has no two identical rows
In a relation
The order of the rows is unimportant