This is a regular “data quiz”. Follow it on LinkedIn. Test your knowledge or learn something new.
Today Question:
Data normalization serves to:
A) Increase redundancy
B) Remove duplicates
C) Speed up queries
D) Simplify JOINs
Correct Answer: B
Explanation
Normalization is a fundamental principle of relational database design that aims to eliminate redundancy and ensure data consistency. The normalization process divides large tables into smaller, logically related tables while removing duplicate information. There are several normal forms (1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF), each addressing specific types of redundancy. First normal form eliminates repeating groups in rows, second removes partial dependencies on keys, third eliminates transitive dependencies. Normalization brings advantages such as space savings, data consistency (changes are made in only one place), and reduced risk of anomalies during insert/update/delete operations. However, normalized databases require more JOINs in queries, which can affect performance. Therefore, analytical systems often use denormalization for faster reading, while OLTP systems prefer normalized structures.