Nicolas Copernicus is known for proposing which theory?

Nicolas Copernicus is known for proposing which theory?

• A. The theory of the solar system
• B. The geocentric model
• C. The theory of relativity
• D. The law of universal gravitation

Answer: (A)

Copernicus proposed a sun-centered model of the solar system, with the Sun near the center and the planets, including Earth, orbiting it. This heliocentric view represented a major shift from the earlier geocentric idea that Earth sits at the center of everything. The best fit among the options is the broad description of a theory about the solar system because Copernicus changed how the system is organized—moving the center from Earth to the Sun. The other choices refer to later or different ideas: relativity comes from Einstein, the law of universal gravitation from Newton, and the widely phrased option here points to the overall solar-system arrangement that Copernicus described. This shift to a sun-centered model is the core contribution for which he is known.

Copernicus proposed a sun-centered model of the solar system, with the Sun near the center and the planets, including Earth, orbiting it. This heliocentric view represented a major shift from the earlier geocentric idea that Earth sits at the center of everything. The best fit among the options is the broad description of a theory about the solar system because Copernicus changed how the system is organized—moving the center from Earth to the Sun. The other choices refer to later or different ideas: relativity comes from Einstein, the law of universal gravitation from Newton, and the widely phrased option here points to the overall solar-system arrangement that Copernicus described. This shift to a sun-centered model is the core contribution for which he is known.