Which statement correctly describes a snowflake schema relative to a star schema?

• A. Star schema uses fully normalized dimension tables.
• B. Snowflake schema uses a central fact table connected to denormalized dimensions.
• C. Snowflake schema normalizes dimension tables into multiple related tables.
• D. Both schemas store data identically; only naming differs.

Answer: (C)

In a snowflake schema, dimension tables are normalized into multiple related tables rather than one flat, denormalized table per dimension. This reduces data redundancy and helps maintain consistency, since related attributes live in separate, linked tables (for example, product, product category, and product subcategory instead of a single product dimension). The trade-off is that queries often require more joins to assemble the full dimensional view, which can slow performance compared to a star schema. The star schema, by contrast, uses denormalized dimensions directly connected to the central fact table, so it’s typically simpler and faster to query but with a bit more data redundancy.