Which type of dependency prevents a non-prime attribute from being functionally dependent on any part of a candidate key?

Prepare for the WGU ITEC2116 D426 Data Management - Foundations Exam with interactive quizzes and comprehensive study materials. Enhance your data management skills and boost your confidence for the exam.

The concept of full functional dependency is critical in understanding how attributes relate to candidate keys within the context of database normalization. In a relational database, for a non-prime attribute (an attribute that is not part of any candidate key) to be fully functionally dependent on a candidate key, it must depend on the entire candidate key and not just a portion of it.

When a non-prime attribute is said to have a full functional dependency on a candidate key, it means that if we know the value of the whole candidate key, we can uniquely determine the value of that non-prime attribute. This is important for ensuring that there is no redundancy in the database. If a non-prime attribute were to depend only on part of a candidate key, it would lead to anomalies during the insertion, update, and deletion processes, which are often addressed by normalization techniques.

By adhering to the principle of full functional dependency, databases can minimize redundancy and enhance data integrity. This understanding is foundational when designing a database schema that faithfully represents the relationships between various data elements without unnecessary duplication and potential anomalies.

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