Final answer:
To implement an REA data model in a relational database with eight distinct entities, four M:N relationships, and six 1:N relationships, 12 tables are needed: one for each entity and one additional table for each M:N relationship.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how many tables are needed to implement an REA data model with eight distinct entities, four M:N relationships, and six 1:N relationships in a relational database, we start by creating a table for each entity, which gives us eight tables. Each M:N (many-to-many) relationship will require a separate associative table to manage the associations between entities, adding four more tables. 1:N (one-to-many) relationships do not typically require additional tables since the relationship can be managed with foreign keys in the existing tables. Therefore, the total number of tables needed is the sum of the number of entity tables and the number of associative tables required for the M:N relationships.
The calculation is as follows:
Number of tables for entities: 8
Number of tables for M:N relationships: 4
Number of tables for 1:N relationships: 0 (handled via foreign keys)
Total number of tables needed = 8 (entity tables) + 4 (M:N relationship tables) = 12 tables