Stress points in materials can change how we understand strain, which is how much something stretches or compresses. Let’s break it down:

1. Stress Bumps: When a material has notches or holes, the stress in those spots can go up a lot. This can lead to more strain in those areas.

2. Uneven Strain: The strain isn’t the same everywhere. This makes it tricky to think that the material behaves evenly all over.

3. Risk of Breaking: If some areas have a lot of strain, they can break sooner. This shows why it’s important to think carefully about how we design things that hold weight, like buildings or bridges.

For example, think about a beam with a hole drilled in it. The stress in that area can be calculated this way:

$$\sigma = \frac{F}{A}$$

Here, $F$ is the force being applied and $A$ is the area of the hole. This formula shows how important it is for engineers to look closely at stress when they design structures.