Which statement best describes 1NF (First Normal Form) in relational databases?

Which statement best describes 1NF (First Normal Form) in relational databases?

• A. 1NF concerns encryption.
• B. 1NF allows repeating groups.
• C. 1NF requires atomic values, meaning each field contains only a single value.
• D. 1NF increases data redundancy.

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is that First Normal Form requires atomic values in every field. In 1NF, each column holds a single, indivisible value, so no cell can contain a list, set, or multiple items. This makes the table easier to query, index, and relate to other tables, because every attribute has a stable, scalar value and every row has the same structure. That’s why the best statement is the one that says each field contains only a single value. The other ideas don’t describe 1NF: encryption relates to security, not table structure; allowing repeating groups would violate 1NF, since it undermines atomicity; and 1NF isn’t defined by increasing redundancy—the goal of normalization is to organize data to reduce redundancy, with 1NF being the first structural step.

The idea being tested is that First Normal Form requires atomic values in every field. In 1NF, each column holds a single, indivisible value, so no cell can contain a list, set, or multiple items. This makes the table easier to query, index, and relate to other tables, because every attribute has a stable, scalar value and every row has the same structure.

That’s why the best statement is the one that says each field contains only a single value. The other ideas don’t describe 1NF: encryption relates to security, not table structure; allowing repeating groups would violate 1NF, since it undermines atomicity; and 1NF isn’t defined by increasing redundancy—the goal of normalization is to organize data to reduce redundancy, with 1NF being the first structural step.