Relational Databases — A-Level Computer Science Revision
Revise Relational Databases for A-Level Computer Science. Step-by-step explanation, worked examples, common mistakes and exam-style practice aligned to AQA, Edexcel and OCR.
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Go to SQL QueriesWhat is Relational Databases?
A relational database is a type of database that stores and provides access to data points that are related to one another. Relational databases are based on the relational model, which is a way of representing data in tables. Each table has a set of columns and rows, and each row represents a single record.
Board notes: Covered by AQA, Edexcel, and OCR. Students should be able to design and create relational databases and to use SQL to query them.
Step-by-step explanationWorked example
A database for a school might have a table for students and a table for courses. The students table would have columns for student ID, name, and address. The courses table would have columns for course ID, name, and teacher. A third table, called enrollments, would be used to link students to courses. This table would have columns for student ID and course ID.
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Common mistakes
- 1Confusing tables, records, and fields.
- 2Not understanding the concept of a primary key.
- 3Incorrectly defining relationships between tables.
Relational Databases exam questions
Exam-style questions for Relational Databases with mark-scheme style solutions and timing practice. Aligned to AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications.
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Step-by-step method
Step-by-step explanation
4 steps · Worked method for Relational Databases
Core concept
A relational database is a type of database that stores and provides access to data points that are related to one another. Relational databases are based on the relational model, which is a way of re…
Frequently asked questions
What is a primary key?
A primary key is a column in a table that uniquely identifies each row in the table. For example, in a students table, the student ID would be the primary key.
What is a foreign key?
A foreign key is a column in a table that refers to the primary key of another table. It is used to create a relationship between the two tables. For example, in the enrollments table, the student ID would be a foreign key that refers to the students table.