In relational terms, a tuple refers to which element of a relation (table)?
Database
The Relational Model and Normalization
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
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Acolumn of a table.
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Btwo dimensional table.
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Crow of a table.
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Dkey of a table.
Answer
Correct Answer: row of a table.
Explanation
Introduction / Context:Terminology bridges theory and practice. The term tuple is standard in relational theory, while many tools say row or record.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- A relation has attributes (columns) and tuples (rows).
- Each tuple contains values for every attribute of the relation.
Concept / Approach:A tuple is a single record in the relation, represented as a row with one value per attribute.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Map theoretical terms to common terms: tuple equals row; attribute equals column.Discard options that denote the whole table or a key.Choose row of a table.Verification / Alternative check:SQL statements like insert into table values (...) operate on tuples, i.e., rows.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Column describes an attribute, not a tuple.
- Two dimensional table refers to the entire relation, not one tuple.
- Key is a set of attributes used to identify tuples, not the tuple itself.
Common Pitfalls:Using record and field inconsistently; remember tuple equals row and attribute equals column.
Final Answer:row of a table.