How is signaling speed defined in relation to baud?

Signaling speed, particularly in the context of baud rate, refers to the number of discrete signal changes or conditions that occur per second in a communication channel. The term "baud" specifically measures the rate at which these changes happen, and it is not directly related to the actual amount of data being transmitted, which is measured in bits per second (bps) or bytes per second. Each discrete signal condition may represent one or multiple bits of information, depending on the modulation scheme used. This makes the understanding of baud rate crucial, especially when discussing the efficiency of data transmission methods in electronic communications.

Other options do not accurately reflect the concept of signaling speed as defined by baud. For example, the number of bytes transmitted per second relates to overall data transfer, while the duration of the longest interval refers to timing rather than signal changes. The number of modulated signals received can refer to different aspects of communication but does not specifically define baud or the signaling speed itself.