Question 1

A table that is in 2NF and contains no transitive dependencies is said to be in _____.
A) 1NF
B) 2NF
C) 3NF
D) 4NF

Accepted Answer

A table in 2NF is already normalized to eliminate any partial dependencies, and a table is in 3NF when all non-key attributes are independent of each other and they depend only on the primary key. Therefore, a table that is in 2NF and contains no transitive dependencies is already in 3NF. It is not necessary to go to the fourth normal form (4NF).

Question 2

From a system functionality point of view, _____ attribute values can be calculated when they are needed to write reports or invoices.
A) derived
B) atomic
C) granular
D) historical

Accepted Answer

Derived attribute values are calculated based on other attribute values in the system. This type of attribute can be generated when it is needed to write reports or invoices. Atomic attributes, on the other hand, are indivisible and cannot be further broken down. Granular attributes refer to the level of detail in the data and historical attributes relate to past or previous data. Neither of these options pertains to functionality for generating reports or invoices.

Question 3

The most likely data type for a surrogate key is _____.
A) character
B) date
C) logical
D) numeric

Accepted Answer

The most appropriate data type for a surrogate key is numeric, as it is a unique identifier that is automatically generated, often as an incrementing number. It does not have any meaningful information and is only used as a reference for other tables.

Question 4

Dependencies based on only a part of a composite primary key are known as _____ dependencies.
A) primary
B) partial
C) incomplete
D) composite

Accepted Answer

Partial dependencies occur when an attribute in a table is dependent on only a portion (subset) of the primary key, rather than the entire key.

Question 5

Of the following normal forms, _____ is mostly of theoretical interest.
A) 1NF
B) 3NF
C) BCNF
D) DKNF

Accepted Answer

DKNF (Domain-Key Normal Form) is mostly of theoretical interest and not commonly applied in practice. It requires that all constraints and dependencies be logical consequences of the definition of the database schema, making it difficult to achieve in practical settings. 1NF, 3NF, and BCNF are more commonly used and practical for database design.

Question 6

Improving _____ leads to more flexible queries.
A) atomicity
B) normalization
C) denormalization
D) derived attribute

Accepted Answer

The answer of Improving _____ leads to more flexible queries.
A)...

Question 7

A table that has all key attributes defined, has no repeating groups, and all its attributes are dependent on the primary key is said to be in _____.
A) 1NF
B) 2NF
C) 3NF
D) 4NF

Accepted Answer

The answer of A table that has all key attributes...

Question 8

Granularity refers to _____.
A) the size of a table
B) the level of detail represented by the values in a table's row
C) the number of attributes represented in a table
D) the number of rows in a table

Accepted Answer

Granularity refers to the level of detail represented by the values in a table's row, such as individual transactions or summarized totals.

Question 9

A(n) _____ exists when there are functional dependencies such that Y is functionally dependent on X, Z is functionally dependent on Y, and X is the primary key.
A) partial dependency
B) repeating group
C) atomic attribute
D) transitive dependency

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a transitive dependency, where an attribute (Z) is functionally dependent on another non-key attribute (Y), which in turn is functionally dependent on the primary key attribute (X).

Question 10

If a table has multiple candidate keys and one of those candidate keys is a composite key, the table can have _____ based on this composite candidate key even when the primary key chosen is a single attribute.
A) Boyce-Codd normal forms
B) redundancies
C) time-variances
D) partial dependencies

Accepted Answer

Partial dependencies can occur in a table when a composite candidate key exists, and the primary key chosen is a single attribute. This is because partial dependency happens when a non-prime attribute is dependent on part of a composite candidate key, which can lead to normalization issues.

Question 11

An attribute that is part of a key is known as a(n) _____ attribute.
A) important
B) nonprime
C) prime
D) entity

Accepted Answer

A prime attribute is an attribute that is part of a key. Therefore, the correct choice is C.

Question 12

A _____ derives its name from the fact that a collection of multiple entries of the same type can exist for any single key attribute occurrence.
A) partial dependency
B) transitive dependency
C) repeating group
D) primary key

Accepted Answer

A repeating group is a set of multiple values for a single attribute occurrence which can be present for any particular key attribute occurrence. It violates the first normal form of database normalization.

Question 13

From a structural point of view, 2NF is better than _____.
A) 1NF
B) 3NF
C) 4NF
D) BCNF

Accepted Answer

2NF is better than 1NF because it eliminates repeating groups of data. However, it is not necessarily better than 3NF, 4NF, or BCNF, as these higher normal forms further reduce redundancies and dependencies in the data.

Question 14

Attribute A _____ attribute B if all of the rows in the table that agree in value for attribute A also agree in value for attribute B.
A) determines
B) derives from
C) controls
D) owns

Accepted Answer

Attribute A determines attribute B if the value of B can be predicted based on the value of A. If all rows that have the same value for A also have the same value for B, then A determines B. The other choices (derives from, controls, owns) do not accurately describe this relationship.

Question 15

In a(n) _____ diagram, the arrows above the attributes indicate all desirable dependencies.
A) Chen
B) dependency
C) functionality
D) ER

Accepted Answer

In a dependency diagram, the arrows above the attributes are used to indicate all desirable dependencies, which helps in understanding how different attributes are related and depend on each other within a database schema.

Question 16

A relational table must not contain a(n) _____.
A) entity
B) attribute
C) relationship
D) repeating group

Accepted Answer

A repeating group violates the first normal form of database normalization which requires each attribute of a relational table to hold a single value. Therefore, a relational table must not contain a repeating group. Entities, attributes, and relationships are all acceptable components of a relational table.

Question 17

From a structural point of view, 3NF is better than _____.
A) 2NF
B) 3NF
C) 5NF
D) 6NF

Accepted Answer

3NF is a higher level of normalization compared to 2NF. In 3NF, every non-key attribute is dependent on the primary key or on a non-key attribute. This eliminates transitive dependencies (where a non-key attribute is dependent on another non-key attribute), which are present in 2NF. Therefore, 3NF ensures better structural integrity of the database compared to 2NF.

Question 18

An atomic attribute _____.
A) cannot exist in a relational table
B) cannot be further subdivided
C) displays multiplicity
D) is always chosen to be a foreign key

Accepted Answer

An atomic attribute is indivisible and cannot be further subdivided. This means that it cannot be broken down into smaller components. Atomic attributes are the basic components of a relation, and they cannot exist on their own as a separate entity. They must be combined with other attributes in a relation.

Question 19

Normalization works through a series of stages called normal forms. For most purposes in business database design, _____ stages are as high as you need to go in the normalization process.
A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five

Accepted Answer

In business database design, third normal form (3NF) is typically as high as you need to go in the normalization process. Going beyond 3NF may result in unnecessary complexity and decreased performance. However, it's important to note that every database and its specific requirements may vary, and therefore it's always best to consult with an expert in database design.

Question 20

Some very specialized applications may require normalization beyond the _____.
A) 1NF
B) 2NF
C) 3NF
D) 4NF

Accepted Answer

Some very specialized applications may require normalization beyond the 4th normal form (4NF) to achieve better performance or to meet specific requirements. However, most practical database designs can be achieved with normalization up to the 3rd normal form (3NF).

Quiz 6: Normalization of Database Tables

A table that is in 2NF and contains no transitive dependencies is said to be in _____.

From a system functionality point of view, _____ attribute values can be calculated when they are needed to write reports or invoices.

The most likely data type for a surrogate key is _____.

Dependencies based on only a part of a composite primary key are known as _____ dependencies.

Of the following normal forms, _____ is mostly of theoretical interest.

Improving _____ leads to more flexible queries.

A table that has all key attributes defined, has no repeating groups, and all its attributes are dependent on the primary key is said to be in _____.

Granularity refers to _____.

A(n) _____ exists when there are functional dependencies such that Y is functionally dependent on X, Z is functionally dependent on Y, and X is the primary key.

If a table has multiple candidate keys and one of those candidate keys is a composite key, the table can have _____ based on this composite candidate key even when the primary key chosen is a single attribute.

An attribute that is part of a key is known as a(n) _____ attribute.

A _____ derives its name from the fact that a collection of multiple entries of the same type can exist for any single key attribute occurrence.

From a structural point of view, 2NF is better than _____.

Attribute A _____ attribute B if all of the rows in the table that agree in value for attribute A also agree in value for attribute B.

In a(n) _____ diagram, the arrows above the attributes indicate all desirable dependencies.

A relational table must not contain a(n) _____.

From a structural point of view, 3NF is better than _____.

An atomic attribute _____.

Normalization works through a series of stages called normal forms. For most purposes in business database design, _____ stages are as high as you need to go in the normalization process.

Some very specialized applications may require normalization beyond the _____.