Fundamental Database Concepts Flashcards

Which type of relationship exists when one record in Table A can relate to many records in Table B, and one record in Table B can relate to many records in Table A?

Answer: Many-to-Many

A many-to-many relationship means each row on either side can relate to multiple rows on the other side, typically resolved with a junction (bridge) table.

In the context of database transactions, what does the 'I' in ACID stand for?

Answer: Isolation

Isolation ensures that concurrent transactions execute as if they were run sequentially, preventing interference between them.

Which SQL command is used to permanently save changes made during a transaction?

Answer: COMMIT

COMMIT permanently saves all changes made during the current transaction to the database.

What is a surrogate key?

Answer: A system-generated artificial key with no business meaning

A surrogate key is an artificially generated identifier (often a sequence number) with no inherent business meaning, used purely to uniquely identify rows.

Which normal form eliminates transitive dependencies among non-key attributes?

Answer: Third Normal Form (3NF)

Third Normal Form (3NF) requires that no non-key attribute is transitively dependent on the primary key through another non-key attribute.

What is the purpose of a database view?

Answer: To provide a virtual table based on a query result

A view is a virtual table whose contents are defined by a stored query, presenting data from one or more base tables without storing data itself.

In relational database terminology, what is a 'tuple'?

Answer: A row in a table

In relational theory, a tuple corresponds to a single row in a relational table, representing one record of data.