In RF terminology, the carrier deviation refers to the maximum shift in carrier frequency due to modulation. Which option best describes this?

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Carrier deviation is about how far the carrier’s frequency moves from its unmodulated value due to the modulating signal. The best description is a shift in the carrier frequency, since the frequency itself is what changes with modulation, and the maximum amount of that change is the peak deviation. Variation in antenna impedance has to do with how the antenna circuit matches and reflects power, not how the frequency shifts. A change in carrier amplitude describes amplitude modulation, not frequency deviation. A change in carrier phase relates to phase modulation, not the frequency shift defined here.