Question 1

The statement "A sales rep's pay class functionally determines his or her pay rate" means that if you know the pay class, you can determine the pay rate.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

Explain why and how an unnormalized relation should be converted into a relation in first normal form.

Accepted Answer

A table in a particular normal form possesses a certain desirable collection of properties. Although there are several normal forms, the most common are first normal form, second normal form, and third normal form. According to the definition of a relation, a relation (table) cannot contain a repeating group in which multiple entries exist on a single row. However, in the database design process, you might create a table that has all the other properties of a relation but contains a repeating group. Removing repeating groups is the starting point when converting an unnormalized collection of data into a table that is in first normal form. A table (relation) is in first normal form (1NF) when it does not contain a repeating group. To convert a table with repeating group(s) to first normal form, you remove the repeating group(s). When you convert an unnormalized table to a table in first normal form, the primary key of the table in first normal form is usually the primary key of the unnormalized table concatenated with the key for the repeating group. The key for the repeating group is the column in the repeating group that distinguishes one occurrence of the repeating group from another.

Question 3

In a relational database, _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   rows must be ordered numerically
B)   relations must include repeating groups
C)   columns should be ordered correctly
D)   each row should be unique D

Question 4

In the following shorthand representation of a database, the underlined items are _____. INVOICES (INVOICE_NUM, INVOICE_DATE, CUST_ID)
INVOICE_LINE (INVOICE_NUM, ITEM_ID, QUANTITY, QUOTED_PRICE)
ITEM (ITEM_ID, DESCRIPTION, ON_HAND, CATEGORY, LOCATION, PRICE)

Accepted Answer

A)   relations
B)   entities
C)   nonkey columns
D)   primary keys

Question 5

A table in second normal form should be improved to third normal form because _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   its determinants can cause update anomalies
B)   its candidate keys can cause update anomalies
C)   this reduces the number of relations in the database
D)   this eliminates repeating groups that waste space

Question 6

Which of the following tables is in third normal form, given that DOC_ID determines DOC_FIRST_NAME and DOC_LAST_NAME?

Accepted Answer

A)   PATIENT (PATIENT_ID, FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, DOC_ID, DOC_FIRST_NAME, DOC_LAST_NAM
E)  
B)   PATIENT (PATIENT_ID, FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, VISIT_DATE, (SERVICE, BILLING_COD
E)  ) 
C)   PATIENT (PATIENT_ID, FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, EMAIL, PHONE_NO, DOC_I
D)  
D)   PATIENT (PATIENT_ID, DOC_ID, FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, (ADMIT_DATE, RELEASE_DAT
E)  )

Question 7

Suppose you have a table with a primary key composed of two columns. When another column in this table is dependent on only one of the two columns in the primary key, this poses a risk for _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   qualification errors
B)   update anomalies
C)   function splitting
D)   functional dependency

Question 8

The process of determining the particular tables and columns that will comprise a database is known as _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   normalization
B)   database design
C)   qualification
D)   relational management

Question 9

Within an entity-relationship diagram, which of the following would indicate that the relationship between A and B is one (A) to many (B)?

Accepted Answer

A)   An arrow drawn from rectangle B points to rectangle A.
B)   A line drawn from rectangle A ends in a crow's foot at rectangle B.
C)   A line with a number 1 beside it is drawn from rectangle A to rectangle B.
D)   A line with a letter n beside it is drawn from a diamond to rectangle A.

Question 10

You can determine functional dependence by viewing sample data.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Why have Social Security numbers traditionally been used as primary keys for database tables that store personal data on individual people?

Accepted Answer

A)   All other columns in such a table are functionally dependent on the Social Security number column.
B)   The Social Security number is always the only candidate key in such a table.
C)   A Social Security number column is functionally dependent on all the other columns in such a table.
D)   The Social Security number is functionally independent of most other columns in such a table.

Question 12

When you are designing a database, _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   you might be able to determine the relationships between tables directly from the requirements
B)   one useful approach to identifying relationships between tables is to look for matching rows
C)   the many part of a relationship between tables occurs where the matching column is the primary key
D)   attributes with functional dependencies should not be placed together in the same table

Question 13

A relational database _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   consists of relationships between entities
B)   implements relationships through common table rows
C)   consists of tables called relations
D)   implements relationships through repeating groups

Question 14

If column A in a relational database determines a single value for column B at any point in time, then column B is functionally dependent on column A.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

You are working with a QUOTATIONS table that contains no repeating groups and has a primary key consisting of the SERVICE_CODE and SPECS columns. You realize that some other columns in the table functionally depend on either SERVICE_CODE or SPECS, but not both, whereas the rest depend on both. How should you improve this table?

Accepted Answer

A)   remove the multiple entries from the SERVICE_CODE and SPECS columns
B)   eliminate any columns that determine other columns from the table
C)   combine SERVICE_CODE and SPECS into a single-column primary key
D)   replace it with three tables with the following primary keys: SERVICE_CODE, SPECS, and SERVICE_CODE plus SPECS

Question 16

One of the categories of update anomalies is _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   functional dependencies
B)   functional splits
C)   inconsistent data
D)   qualifications

Question 17

In an entity-relationship (E-R) diagram, tables are represented by _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   rectangles
B)   ovals
C)   circles
D)   diamonds

Question 18

A determinant is any column (or collection of columns) that determines another table.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

When you convert an unnormalized table to a table in first normal form, the primary key of the table in first normal form _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   rarely includes a column from the repeating group
B)   is usually the primary key of the unnormalized table concatenated with the key for the repeating group
C)   rarely includes the primary key of the unnormalized table
D)   is usually exactly the same as the primary key of the unnormalized table

Question 20

A relation that does not contain any repeating groups is in _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   first normal form
B)   second normal form
C)   third normal form
D)   Boyce-Codd normal form

Exam 2: Database Design Fundamentals

The statement "A sales rep's pay class functionally determines his or her pay rate" means that if you know the pay class, you can determine the pay rate.

Explain why and how an unnormalized relation should be converted into a relation in first normal form.

In a relational database, _____.

In the following shorthand representation of a database, the underlined items are _____. INVOICES (INVOICE_NUM, INVOICE_DATE, CUST_ID) INVOICE_LINE (INVOICE_NUM, ITEM_ID, QUANTITY, QUOTED_PRICE) ITEM (ITEM_ID, DESCRIPTION, ON_HAND, CATEGORY, LOCATION, PRICE)

A table in second normal form should be improved to third normal form because _____.

Which of the following tables is in third normal form, given that DOC_ID determines DOC_FIRST_NAME and DOC_LAST_NAME?

Suppose you have a table with a primary key composed of two columns. When another column in this table is dependent on only one of the two columns in the primary key, this poses a risk for _____.

The process of determining the particular tables and columns that will comprise a database is known as _____.

Within an entity-relationship diagram, which of the following would indicate that the relationship between A and B is one (A) to many (B) ?

You can determine functional dependence by viewing sample data.

Why have Social Security numbers traditionally been used as primary keys for database tables that store personal data on individual people?

When you are designing a database, _____.

A relational database _____.

If column A in a relational database determines a single value for column B at any point in time, then column B is functionally dependent on column A.

One of the categories of update anomalies is _____.

In an entity-relationship (E-R) diagram, tables are represented by _____.

A determinant is any column (or collection of columns) that determines another table.

When you convert an unnormalized table to a table in first normal form, the primary key of the table in first normal form _____.

A relation that does not contain any repeating groups is in _____.