Yes, negative 5 is a rational number. By definition, a rational number is any number that can be expressed as the quotient or fraction of two integers, where the denominator is not zero.
In the case of negative 5, it can be written as
-5/1, which clearly shows it is a fraction with an integer numerator (-5) and an integer denominator (1). Since both -5 and 1 are integers, this confirms that negative 5 meets the criteria of being a rational number.
Additionally, rational numbers can be positive, negative, or zero. Therefore, negative 5, as a negative integer, is still classified as a rational number. The number line also illustrates that rational numbers can be found at various points, including negatives like -5.