To convert \( 5 \times \frac{1}{2} \) into a mixed number, we first calculate the product:
\[ 5 \times \frac{1}{2} = \frac{5}{2} \]
Now, to express \(\frac{5}{2}\) as a mixed number, we divide the numerator (5) by the denominator (2):
- 2 goes into 5 two times (which makes 4).
- The remainder is \(5 - 4 = 1\).
Thus, we can write \(\frac{5}{2}\) as:
\[ 2 \frac{1}{2} \]
So, the final answer as a mixed number is:
\[ 2 \frac{1}{2} \]