This is an example git repo.
The master branch is the default branch.
Branches are useful tools when making modifications, as any commits you make as a team don't interfere with each other. Once you're done with your feature, you can merge it back into master.
You can also use branches for hosting on Github Pages
This repo features an additional branch called examplebranch.
To make a branch type git branch BRANCHNAME.
That will make a branch called BRANCHNAME
Then changes you make will be isolated to that branch.
Once you're done, you can merge your changes back into the master branch by
typing git checkout master and git merge BRANCHNAME
Changes made to files both in the master, and in a branch are usually automatically merged, but you can see here for instructions on how to reserve merge conflicts when they do arise. It's very simple!