The pressure acting on the object is 2000 N/m².
The pressure acting on an object can be calculated using the following formula:
Pressure = Force / Area
In this case, the force acting on the object is its weight, which is equal to its mass multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity. The weight of the object is therefore 40kg * 10m/s² = 400 N.
The area of the object is 20cm, which is equal to 0.2m.
Plugging these values into the formula gives:
Pressure = 400 N / 0.2 m = 2000 N/m² (also known as Pascals)