Final answer:
The area of the base of the rectangular prism is 360 square inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
The area of the base of a rectangular prism can be found by multiplying the length and width of the base. In this case, the length of the base is 9 inches and the width is 40 inches. So, the area of the base is 9 inches * 40 inches = 360 square inches.