To convert the improper fraction 21/4 into a mixed number, we start by dividing the numerator (21) by the denominator (4).
When we divide 21 by 4, we find that 4 goes into 21 five times, because 4 x 5 = 20. The remainder from this division is 1 (21 – 20 = 1). Therefore, we can express 21/4 as:
5 1/4
In this mixed number, ‘5’ represents the whole number part, and ‘1/4’ represents the fractional part. So, the mixed number equivalent of 21/4 is 5 1/4.