I am new to the world of Android and have a MotoG:what does rooting do and why would I attempt it?

[Rocky Redinger]

There are certainly some apps already on the phone I may want to get rid of:would the root process accomplish this?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! This article has some helpful links Rooting your Android | Android Central

If you root a device, you can delete preinstalled bloatware apps, but be careful--if you don't know exactly what you're doing, you could delete something important, and render your phone useless.