What kind of a fraction is 5/4?

A fraction is considered improper when its numerator is larger than its denominator. In the case of 5/4, the numerator (5) exceeds the denominator (4), which clearly categorizes it as an improper fraction.

Improper fractions can also be converted to mixed numbers, which consist of a whole number and a proper fraction. However, 5/4 itself remains an improper fraction because we are looking at the original fraction format without any conversion.

The context of proper fractions is when the numerator is less than the denominator, and mixed numbers contain a whole part. Since 5/4 does not fit into those categories, it affirms its classification as an improper fraction.