To calculate the speed of a ball in free fall after 2 seconds, we can use the equation of motion for a freely falling object:

```

v = u + gt

```

where:

* v is the final velocity (in meters per second)

* u is the initial velocity (in meters per second)

* g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 meters per second squared)

* t is the time (in seconds)

In this case, the initial velocity (u) is 0 meters per second since the ball is dropped from rest. Therefore, the equation simplifies to:

```

v = gt

```

Substituting t = 2 seconds into the equation, we get:

```

v = 9.8 m/s^2 * 2 s

```

```

v = 19.6 m/s

```

Therefore, the speed of the ball after falling for 2 seconds is approximately 19.6 meters per second.