What kind of distortion does clipping cause in a waveform?

Clipping occurs when an amplifier is driven beyond its maximum output capability, causing the tops and bottoms of the waveform to be 'flattened' or cut off. This leads to amplified distortion specifically at the amplitude peaks of the signal. When the peaks are clipped, the original waveform is no longer smooth, and sharp transitions or flat segments appear in its place. This alteration creates harmonics and distortions that predominantly emphasize the frequencies present at those clipped amplitudes, contributing to the most notable distortion characteristic.

The other options do not accurately describe the effect of clipping. Uniform distortion across frequencies would imply that all frequency components are distorted equally, which is not the case with clipping. While clipping can affect the phase of the signal to some degree, it does not primarily cause phase disruption; instead, the main effect is on the amplitude peaks. Lastly, frequency noise interference suggests random noise is added to the signal, which is not inherently related to the distortion caused by clipping. Clipping primarily distorts the waveform at its peaks rather than introducing noise or affecting the entire frequency spectrum equally.