WGU C170 DATA MANAGEMENT
APPLICATIONS STUDY GUIDE 2026
◉ associative entity. Answer: An entity designed to transform a M:N
relationship into two 1:M relationships. The composite entity's
primary key comprises at least the primary keys of the entities that
it connects. Also known as a composite entity or associative entity.
See also linking table.
◉ bridge entity. Answer: An entity designed to transform a M:N
relationship into two 1:M relationships. The composite entity's
primary key comprises at least the primary keys of the entities that
it connects. Also known as a composite entity or associative entity.
See also linking table.
◉ candidate key. Answer: A minimal superkey; that is, a key that
does not contain a subset of attributes that is itself a superkey. See
key.
◉ closure. Answer: A property of relational operators that permits
the use of relational algebra operators on existing tables (relations)
to produce new relations.
◉ composite entity. Answer: An entity designed to transform a M:N
relationship into two 1:M relationships. The composite entity's
,primary key comprises at least the primary keys of the entities that
it connects. Also known as a bridge entity or associative entity. See
also linking table.
◉ composite key. Answer: A multiple-attribute key.
◉ dependent. Answer: An attribute whose value is determined by
another attribute.
◉ determination. Answer: The role of a key. In the context of a
database table, the statement "A determines B" indicates that
knowing the value of attribute A means that the value of attribute B
can be looked up.
◉ DIFFERENCE. Answer: In relational algebra, an operator used to
yield all rows from one table that are not found in another union-
compatible table.
◉ DIVIDE. Answer: In relational algebra, an operator that answers
queries about one set of data being associated with all values of data
in another set of data.
◉ domain. Answer: In data modeling, the construct used to organize
and describe an attribute's set of possible values.
, ◉ entity integrity. Answer: The property of a relational table that
guarantees each entity has a unique value in a primary key and that
the key has no null values.
◉ equijoin. Answer: A join operator that links tables based on an
equality condition that compares specified columns of the tables.
◉ flags. Answer: Special codes implemented by designers to trigger
a required response, alert end users to specified conditions, or
encode values.
◉ foreign key (FK). Answer: An attribute or attributes in one table
whose values must match the primary key in another table or whose
values must be null. See key.
◉ full functional dependence. Answer: A condition in which an
attribute is functionally dependent on a composite key but not on
any subset of the key.
◉ functional dependence. Answer: An attribute B is functionally
dependent on an attribute A if and only if a given value of attribute A
determines exactly one value of attribute B. The relationship "B is
dependent on A" is equivalent to "A determines B," and is written as
A B.
APPLICATIONS STUDY GUIDE 2026
◉ associative entity. Answer: An entity designed to transform a M:N
relationship into two 1:M relationships. The composite entity's
primary key comprises at least the primary keys of the entities that
it connects. Also known as a composite entity or associative entity.
See also linking table.
◉ bridge entity. Answer: An entity designed to transform a M:N
relationship into two 1:M relationships. The composite entity's
primary key comprises at least the primary keys of the entities that
it connects. Also known as a composite entity or associative entity.
See also linking table.
◉ candidate key. Answer: A minimal superkey; that is, a key that
does not contain a subset of attributes that is itself a superkey. See
key.
◉ closure. Answer: A property of relational operators that permits
the use of relational algebra operators on existing tables (relations)
to produce new relations.
◉ composite entity. Answer: An entity designed to transform a M:N
relationship into two 1:M relationships. The composite entity's
,primary key comprises at least the primary keys of the entities that
it connects. Also known as a bridge entity or associative entity. See
also linking table.
◉ composite key. Answer: A multiple-attribute key.
◉ dependent. Answer: An attribute whose value is determined by
another attribute.
◉ determination. Answer: The role of a key. In the context of a
database table, the statement "A determines B" indicates that
knowing the value of attribute A means that the value of attribute B
can be looked up.
◉ DIFFERENCE. Answer: In relational algebra, an operator used to
yield all rows from one table that are not found in another union-
compatible table.
◉ DIVIDE. Answer: In relational algebra, an operator that answers
queries about one set of data being associated with all values of data
in another set of data.
◉ domain. Answer: In data modeling, the construct used to organize
and describe an attribute's set of possible values.
, ◉ entity integrity. Answer: The property of a relational table that
guarantees each entity has a unique value in a primary key and that
the key has no null values.
◉ equijoin. Answer: A join operator that links tables based on an
equality condition that compares specified columns of the tables.
◉ flags. Answer: Special codes implemented by designers to trigger
a required response, alert end users to specified conditions, or
encode values.
◉ foreign key (FK). Answer: An attribute or attributes in one table
whose values must match the primary key in another table or whose
values must be null. See key.
◉ full functional dependence. Answer: A condition in which an
attribute is functionally dependent on a composite key but not on
any subset of the key.
◉ functional dependence. Answer: An attribute B is functionally
dependent on an attribute A if and only if a given value of attribute A
determines exactly one value of attribute B. The relationship "B is
dependent on A" is equivalent to "A determines B," and is written as
A B.
