Question Discussion & Solution

🔑 Key Points

• A table is in Second Normal Form (2NF) if it is in 1NF and all its non-prime attributes are fully functionally dependent on every candidate key.
• A partial dependency occurs when a non-prime attribute is dependent on only a part of a candidate key (which is typically a composite key).
• 2NF aims to eliminate these partial dependencies, thus reducing redundancy and update anomalies.
• For example, if {Student ID, Course ID} is a composite key, and 'Student Name' depends only on 'Student ID' (a part of the key), it's a partial dependency.

📄 Additional Information

• To achieve 2NF, you typically decompose the table with partial dependencies into two or more tables.
• One table would contain the full candidate key and its fully dependent attributes, and the other would contain the partial key and the attributes dependent on it.
• Transitive dependency is addressed by Third Normal Form (3NF).