Question

Distinguish between a tributary and a distributary

Answer 1

Tributaries are small streams of water that originates from the glacier and join together to form a river.
Distributaries are formed when the river breaks down into small streamlets or channels.

Difference between tributaries and distributaries

The Difference between tributaries and distributaries are tabulated below

Tributaries	Distributaries
A stream that flows into a mainstream (or parent) river.	A tributary that branches off and flows away from the mainstream or the parent river.
Does not flow directly into a sea, ocean or lake	May or may not flow directly into a sea, ocean or lake.
Generally found in the upper course of the river.	Generally found in the lower course of the river.
Example: Yamuna is the tributary of the Ganga.	Example: Hooghly is the distributary of Ganga.