This page looks at the facts about the nitration of benzene and methylbenzene. The mechanisms for these reactions are covered elsewhere on the site, and you will find links to these.
The nitration of benzene
Nitration happens when one (or more) of the hydrogen atoms on the benzene ring is replaced by a nitro group, NO2.
Benzene is treated with a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and concentrated sulphuric acid at a temperature not exceeding 50°C. The mixture is held at this temperature for about half an hour. Yellow oily nitrobenzene is formed.
You could write this in a more condensed form as:
The concentrated sulphuric acid is acting as a catalyst and so isn't written into the equations.
At higher temperatures there is a greater chance of getting more than one nitro group substituted onto the ring. You will get a certain amount of 1,3-dinitrobenzene formed even at 50°C. Some of the nitrobenzene formed reacts with the nitrating mixture of concentrated acids.
Notice that the new nitro group goes into the 3 position on the ring. Nitro groups "direct" new groups into the 3 and 5 positions. The reasons for this "directing effect" are beyond UK A level.