No, that's not a dumb question at all. I assume you mean a move's base power, the value that the game displays in its description (like base 100 for Earthquake)? It's one of many factors that go into the game's damage calculation process. Unless you know what this process is, move base power is nothing but a measure for comparison of which moves are move powerful than others. However, the actual damage formula displays its practical application in the game.
According to Bulbapedia, this is the damage formula that the game uses to find how much HP the target will lose:
The factor you're asking about, the move's base power, is indicated by Base in the damage formula. As seen, Base is multiplied several times in the equation, meaning that any difference in a move's base power will be exaggerated and will make a noticeable difference in the move's damage output.
To answer your question more directly, the higher a move's base power is, the more powerful it will be. It has no other direct effect on the move; high base power simply makes things stronger.
