Final answer:
A normal form defines the criteria for organizing data in a database to achieve efficient storage and minimize data redundancy. Normalization helps eliminate data anomalies and inconsistencies by adhering to specific requirements for each normal form.
Step-by-step explanation:
In data normalization, a normal form is a set of rules that define the criteria for organizing data in a database to achieve efficient storage and minimize data redundancy. The different normal forms, such as First Normal Form (1NF), Second Normal Form (2NF), etc., help eliminate data anomalies and inconsistencies.
Each normal form has specific requirements that a database must meet to be considered normalized. For example, 1NF requires that each column in a table must have atomic (indivisible) values, while 2NF requires that all non-key attributes in a table must depend on the entire primary key.
By adhering to the normal forms, data is organized in a way that reduces redundancy, improves data integrity, and allows for better database design and optimization.