point load and distributed load

A point load is self-explanatory: a load that is applied at one point; for example, a hammer applies a force (or load) at one point-- which ever point the hammer's head hits.

A distributed load, on the other hand, is applied along an edge. For example, the water in the reservoir on the upstream side of the dam pushes along the upstream edge from top to bottom of the dam. The water is a distributed load.

This is how the loads are modelled:

example