Final answer:
Copernicus believed that planetary motions were due to the Earth and other planets orbiting the Sun, rather than the geocentric model where everything revolves around the Earth. He introduced the heliocentric model which correctly placed the planets in order around the Sun and clarified their speeds of orbit.The correct option is c.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nicolaus Copernicus championed the heliocentric model of the universe, which is quite different from the previously widely accepted geocentric Ptolemaic view. According to the question, Copernicus believed that the planetary motions were due to C) The Earth and other planets orbiting the sun.Copernicus argued against the geocentric model that placed the Earth at the center of the universe, with the Sun, Moon, and stars revolving around it in complex paths. Instead, he proposed the heliocentric model where the planets, including Earth, revolved around the Sun. He placed the planets in the correct order from the Sun and clarified that the nearer a planet is to the Sun, the greater its orbital speed. This model was a significant shift in thought and led to the eventual acceptance of a Sun-centered solar system, which was explained further by the laws of physics, including Newton's universal law of gravitation.