If Richard looks into a mirror and touches his left ear with his right hand, Richard's image seems to touch its right ear with its left hand.

This situation illustrates the fundamental behavior of mirrors and how reflection works. When Richard looks into a mirror, the image produced reflects laterally, leading to an apparent reversal of left and right.

Explanation of Reflection:

1. Understanding Lateral Inversion: Mirrors flip images across a vertical line. This means that actions on one side of the body will appear on the opposite side in the reflection.

2. Observing Richard's Action: When Richard uses his right hand to touch his left ear, this act is on his left side from the perspective of the mirror's reflection.

3. Image Representation:

   • Richard's right hand = Reflectively appears as left hand.
   • Richard's left ear = Reflectively appears as right ear.

4. Conclusion: So, Richard's image seems to touch its right ear with its left hand, showcasing how a mirror reflects actions in a way that can be counterintuitive but is consistent with the principles of optics and reflection.

Summary

This scenario effectively illustrates the concept of lateral inversion, which occurs when viewing images in a mirror, demonstrating the curious nature of left and right perception.