What is the scientific notation for the number 0.00476?

To express the number 0.00476 in scientific notation, we need to rewrite it in a form where there is one non-zero digit to the left of the decimal point. This is done by moving the decimal point to the right until only one non-zero digit remains to its left.

In the case of 0.00476, we move the decimal point three places to the right, which gives us 4.76. Since we moved the decimal point three places to the right, we must also account for this shift in the power of ten. The movement to the right results in a negative exponent because the original number is less than one.

Therefore, we express 0.00476 as 4.76 x 10 raised to the power of negative three. This correctly captures the value of the original number in scientific notation.

This method of conversion is consistent with the principles of scientific notation, which dictates that the coefficient must be between 1 and 10, making option C the correct representation of 0.00476 in scientific notation.