What is the primary goal of normalization?

• A. To maximize data redundancy and minimize update anomalies.
• B. To minimize data redundancy and reduce update anomalies.
• C. To ensure every table has multiple keys.
• D. To minimize data redundancy and reduce update anomalies.

Answer: (D)

Normalization aims to reduce data duplication and prevent inconsistencies when data changes. By organizing data into related tables and using keys to link them, each fact is stored in one place, making updates, deletions, and insertions safer and easier to maintain. For example, keeping customer details in a separate table from orders means a single change to a customer's address updates only one row, avoiding the update anomaly that can occur if the address appears in many places. This reduction in redundancy directly lowers the chance of anomalies and keeps data consistent across the database. The goal described is to minimize redundancy and reduce update anomalies, which is why that idea is correct. Ideas like maximizing redundancy or forcing every table to have multiple keys don’t align with how normalization improves data integrity.