  Extending our previous work \cite{filinov-etal.jpa03ik} we present a detailed
discussion of accuracy and practical applications of finite-temperature
pseudopotentials for two-component Coulomb systems. Different pseudopotentials
are discussed: i) the diagonal Kelbg potential, ii) the off-diagonal Kelbg
potential iii) the {\em improved} diagonal Kelbg potential, iv) an effective
potential obtained with the Feynman-Kleinert variational principle v) the
``exact'' quantum pair potential derived from the two-particle density matrix.
For the {\em improved} diagonal Kelbg potential a simple temperature dependent
fit is derived which accurately reproduces the ``exact'' pair potential in the
whole temperature range. The derived pseudopotentials are then used in path
integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to obtain
thermodynamical properties of strongly coupled hydrogen. It is demonstrated
that classical MD simulations with spin-dependent interaction potentials for
the electrons allow for an accurate description of the internal energy of
hydrogen in the difficult regime of partial ionization down to the temperatures
of about $60 000$ K. Finally, we point out an interesting relation between the
quantum potentials and effective potentials used in density functional theory.
