Finding the coefficients $a$, $b$, and $c$ in quadratic equations can be more difficult than you might think. Here are some common mistakes that people often make:

1. Misreading the Equation: Sometimes, students miss the leading coefficient in equations like $2x^2 + 3x - 5$. In this case, $a = 2$, $b = 3$, and $c = -5$. Someone might mistakenly think that $a = 1$ because they forget to look at the number in front of $x^2$.

2. Sign Confusion: Watch out for negative signs! In an equation like $x^2 - 4x + 2$, students might forget that $c = 2$ is positive. They might accidentally think it is negative.

3. Ignoring Quadratics in Factored Form: When you see something like $(x - 1)(x + 2)$, it’s easy to forget that you need to expand it to find the coefficients. If we expand it, we get $x^2 + x - 2$. Now we can clearly see that $a = 1$, $b = 1$, and $c = -2$.

These small mistakes can slow you down, so always remember to double-check your work!