A stapler is typically classified as a third-class lever. This is because in a stapler:

• The fulcrum is located at the back where the stapler pivots.
• The effort is applied in the middle when you press down on the stapler handle.
• The load (the paper being stapled) is at the front.

Since the effort is applied between the fulcrum and the load, this arrangement corresponds to a third-class lever

. Note: There is some confusion in sources, with a few describing it as a second-class lever, but the widely accepted classification is third-class lever based on the positions of fulcrum, effort, and load in a typical stapler mechanism