A relational database is a type of database that stores data in tables with rows and columns. 

  • Each table represents a relation , which is a set of facts about a certain entity or concept. 
  • Each row in a table represents a tuple , which is an instance or occurrence of the relation. 
  • Each column in a table represents an attribute , which is a property or characteristic of the relation.
  • Each attribute has a domain , which is the set of possible values that it can take.

Commonly used terminologies in relational data model:

  • Attribute -  Characteristic or parameters for which data are to be stored in a relation. Simply stated, the columns of a relation are the attributes which are also referred to as fields.
  • Tuple - Each row of data in a relation (table) is called a tuple. In a table with n columns, a tuple is a relationship between the n related values. 
  • Domain - It is a set of values from which an attribute can take a value in each row. Usually, a data type is used to specify a domain for an attribute. 
  • Degree -  The number of attributes in a relation is called the Degree of the relation
  • Cardinality - The number of tuples in a relation is called the Cardinality of the relation.
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