Here's why:

* Fulcrum: The clip itself acts as the fulcrum, the pivot point around which the lever moves.

* Effort: You apply force to the clip to hold the paper in place.

* Load: The paper being held is the load.

The clipboard lever allows you to apply a smaller force to the clip (effort) to hold a heavier load (paper) in place. This is a classic example of how a lever works to make tasks easier.