Tension and Arch

I examined a metal paperclip uncoiled into a zig-zag hook near the edge of the coffee table. Its wire offered sufficient elastic resistance. I aligned my right foot against the table edge and pressed the bent end under the corner of a heavy glass coaster. With both hands gripping the straight shaft, I bent my knees and applied gradual downward torque. The wire bowed forty degrees, then snapped into an arch under tension. It now bridges the small canyon between the coaster and a stack of sticky notes. The span holds firm without shifting.