Unraveling the First Normal Form

Unraveling the First Normal Form

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will understand the concepts and principles of the First Normal Form.

What do you already know about the First Normal Form?

Slide 1: Introduction

The First Normal Form (1NF) is a fundamental principle in database normalization. It ensures that a relational database table has no repeating groups.

Slide 2: Repeating Groups

Repeating groups occur when multiple values of the same type are stored in a single attribute/column, leading to data redundancy and inconsistency.

Slide 3: Atomicity

Atomicity is a key concept in the First Normal Form. It requires that each attribute/column in a table should hold only atomic values.

Slide 4: Example

Let's consider an example. Suppose we have a table 'Students' with columns 'StudentID', 'Name', and 'Subjects' where 'Subjects' stores multiple subject names separated by commas. This violates 1NF.

Slide 5: Breaking Down the Example

To convert the previous example to 1NF, we need to create a separate table 'StudentSubjects' with columns 'StudentID' and 'Subject'. Each student and subject combination will have a separate row.

Slide 6: Benefits of 1NF

The First Normal Form helps in eliminating data redundancy, improving data integrity, facilitating data manipulation, and enhancing database design flexibility.

Slide 7: Recap

In summary, the First Normal Form ensures that a table has no repeating groups and each attribute holds atomic values. It eliminates data redundancy and enhances data integrity.

Slide 8: Conclusion

Congratulations! You have now learned about the First Normal Form and its significance in database normalization.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.