Concept:
The Mohr-Coulomb equation for the shear strength of soil is \(\tau = c + \sigma \tan\phi\), where \(c\) is the cohesion, \(\sigma\) is the normal stress and \(\phi\) is the angle of internal friction.
Step 1:
For a pure cohesive soil (such as saturated clay), the angle of internal friction is taken as zero, so \(\phi = 0\) and \(\tan\phi = 0\). This makes the frictional term \(\sigma \tan\phi\) equal to zero.
Step 2:
The equation reduces to \(\tau = c\). With cohesion \(c = 40\ \text{kPa}\), the shear strength is \(\tau = 40\ \text{kPa}\).
Answer: Option (4) — 40 kPa.