The heliocentric model proposes that which of the following is true?

• A. The Earth is at the center and the Sun orbits it
• B. The Sun orbits the Earth
• C. The Sun is at the center and the Earth revolves around it
• D. The Moon is the center of the solar system

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that the heliocentric model places the Sun at the center of the solar system and states that Earth and the other planets orbit around it. This arrangement best fits how the planets move and explains why they seem to change position in the sky over time, including occasional retrograde motion where a planet appears to move backward relative to the stars. Historically, Copernicus introduced this Sun-centered view to account for planetary motions more simply than a Earth-centered system, and later observations by Galileo and others supported it, with gravity providing the mechanism for orbits.

The statement that the Sun is at the center and the Earth revolves around it is the correct description. The other ideas describe a geocentric arrangement or place the Moon at the center, which do not align with how planetary motions are observed.