What effect does increasing input signal strength have on amplifier gain?

Increasing input signal strength can lead to distortion in an amplifier for a couple of reasons. As the input signal strength rises, there is a limit to how much an amplifier can increase a signal while maintaining its original characteristics. When the input signal becomes too strong relative to the amplifier's design limitations, clipping can occur. Clipping happens when the amplifier's output waveform is "cut off" at the peaks, resulting in a less faithful representation of the input signal and introducing harmonic distortion.

Therefore, while it might seem that stronger input signals would always result in better amplification, the reality is that pushing an amplifier too hard can produce undesirable effects, such as distortion, which alters the signal quality and integrity. This is a critical aspect of amplifier design and functionality that technicians and engineers must consider when working with amplification systems.